Florida Rep. Christine Hunschofsky filed legislation in the state house Wednesday that would require universal background checks for gun sales and ban “ghost guns,” among other reforms.
House Bill 65, known as the “Responsible Gun Ownership Act,” would also mandate that gun sales and transfers be conducted through licensed dealers, strengthen gun storage laws, and mandate that guns be sold by dealers with trigger locks or gun cases.
The legislation, which stands little chance of passage in the Republican-dominated legislature, would make it illegal to possess or manufacture unfinished firearms without serial numbers.
That category includes “ghost guns” made with 3-D printers. The firearms, currently legal to make in Florida, are virtually impossible for law enforcement to trace if used in a crime.
“This common-sense legislation is about enhancing the safety and security of our communities,” said Hunschofsky. “We are living in an era where gun violence has taken a devastating toll on our state. I believe that everyone has a right to be safe, and to do that, we need to ensure that law enforcement has as many tools as possible to keep us safe.”
Hunschofsky’s filing of the bill comes amid recent efforts by Florida Republicans to roll back the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Act, which passed in 2018 with bipartisan support.
The legislation created a red flag law allowing courts to order guns seized from people deemed dangerous to themselves or others. It also raised the legal age for Florida residents to buy rifles from 18 to 21.
Republican State Rep. Joel Rudman (R-Navarre) recently filed legislation that would roll back the red flag law and legalize “open-carry” in the state. Florida currently allows concealed carrying of firearms with a permit.
“I look forward to our state once again earning the title of the Gunshine State, where citizens are no longer asked to trade God-given freedoms for a politician’s empty promise of security,” Rudman said recently.
Hunschofsky said rolling back the Stoneman Douglas law would be a mistake.
“My hope is that instead of going backwards, we look forward to what more can be done to make our communities safer. I believe this bill is a step in that direction,” she said of House Bill 65.
Hunschofsky, formerly the mayor of Parkland, will succeed House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell (D-Tampa) as her party’s leader in the state House in 2026. She currently serves as the Democratic Whip in the state House.
Before winning statewide office in 2020, Hunschofsky served on the Parkland City Commission and was the city’s mayor during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Her House district includes Parkland and Coral Springs.
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