Senator Tina Polsky (D-Boca Raton) and Representative Dan Daley (D-Coral Springs) today filed SB 146 and HB 151, otherwise known as ‘Jaime’s Law,’ for the 2023 Legislative Session. The bill is named in honor of 14-year old Jaime Guttenberg, who tragically lost her life in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February 2018. This legislation would close the background check loophole and would, if passed, require background checks on all individuals purchasing ammunition. Currently, in Florida, those prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm are prohibited from purchasing ammunition. However, Florida law contains a loophole that does not require that vendors run background checks on ammunition purchases to ensure that the purchasing individual can do so. This bill works to close this loophole and ensure that ammunition does not, once again, fall into the wrong hands.
“Deaths by gun violence continue to increase precipitously in America. In fact, gun violence recently surpassed car accidents as the leading cause of death of our children in this country. We need to take every precaution we can to save lives. If guns require a background check, then so should the bullets that do the harm,” said Senator Tina Polsky.
“As a graduate of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and as a member of the community affected by this tragedy, I am deeply committed to ensuring that such an event never occurs again. That is why I have consistently sponsored and advocated for the passage of ‘Jaime’s Law’ for the past three Legislative Sessions. Twenty-one other states already have some type of a background check in place, and six states specifically require background checks on the sales of ammunition. This bill is a step in the right direction and should receive wide bipartisan support,” said Representative Dan Daley.
“If someone is prohibited from buying a firearm then it would only make sense they would also be prohibited from purchasing ammunition. We must close this ammunition loophole and this bill is a step in the right direction to do it. Jaime’s Law will help save lives immediately,” said Fred Guttenberg, gun reform advocate and father of Jaime Guttenberg.
