The Florida House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill that would lower the minimum age to purchase a firearm from 21 to 18, reversing a key provision of the state’s post-Parkland gun laws.

The measure, House Bill 759, was approved by a vote of 78-34, with seven members not voting. Under the proposal, individuals who are 18 years of age or older would be permitted to purchase firearms from federally licensed dealers and in private transactions, so long as they are not otherwise prohibited under state or federal law. The bill also eliminates a provision in current law that prohibits licensed dealers from selling or transferring firearms to individuals under 21 years of age.

Florida law has required individuals to be at least 21 to purchase any firearm since 2018, when lawmakers passed a comprehensive public safety law in the aftermath of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The existing restriction applies to both long guns and handguns, though federal law already prohibits handgun sales by licensed dealers to individuals under 21.

The measure aligns state law with the federal minimum age of 18 for the purchase of rifles and shotguns from licensed dealers. While federal law continues to bar handgun purchases from dealers for those under 21, the bill would allow 18- to 20-year-olds to purchase handguns in private transactions.

Federal regulations do not require private sellers to verify age or conduct background checks, although it remains illegal to knowingly transfer a firearm to a prohibited person.

The bill retains criminal penalties for violations by licensed dealers. Selling or transferring a firearm to a person under 18 remains a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. The legislation also removes an exception that had allowed certain law enforcement officers and service members under 21 to purchase rifles and shotguns.