SB 400 is filed for the 2018 legislative session
As the nation adds an additional 59 names to the staggering number of innocent people killed in a mass shooting, state Senator Daphne Campbell (D-Miami) announced Tuesday that she has once again filed legislation adding mental health evaluation in order to obtain a license to carry a concealed weapon or firearm in Florida.
“My bill will require a mental health evaluation to be conducted by a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist. Too many times, we’ve seen the tragic consequences of the mentally unstable wielding a gun and the innocent victims who have paid the price for the madness. This is a basic measure to determine the mental stability of those seeking to carry a weapon,” said Senator Campbell.
Currently anyone can apply for a license to carry concealed weapons and their mental health is not a consideration. Senator Campbell filed identical legislation in the 2017 session – largely inspired by the 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre which left 49 Floridians dead – but SB 956 languished in committees in both chambers.
“This has to change. We must do more to protect our citizens and to prevent gun violence and the many tragedies we have seen repeated over and over. When the Federal government fails to pass legislation, then we must tackle this issue state-by-state,” said Senator Campbell. “The evil these unstable individuals continue to unleash will not stop by itself. The power to stop it rests with us.”
Senator Campbell’s measure, SB 400, has been filed for the 2018 legislative session, which begins in January.
