Press Release: 2024-09-04

MA AG’s Office Joins Coalition Supporting Florida Law That Prohibits Individuals Under 21 From Purchasing Firearms

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

9/03/2024

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, urging that court to affirm the lower court’s decision to uphold a Florida law that prohibits individuals under the age of 21 from purchasing firearms.

The AGO and the coalition filed the brief in National Rifle Association v. Commissioner, Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The lawsuit challenges a provision of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act that generally prohibits the purchase of firearms by individuals under the age of 21. In October 2021, the AGO joined a coalition defending the Florida law in the same case. A panel of the appellate court issued an opinion in March 2023 upholding the law, but the full court voted to rehear the case and will hear argument in the fall.

In the brief, the coalition argues that the Second Amendment gives states the ability to enact sensible regulations designed to promote gun safety and protect against gun violence that are consistent with historical tradition. For example, the coalition explains states have long exercised their power to protect the health, safety and welfare of their residents by enacting safety measures to minimize gun violence.

Additionally, the attorneys general explain Florida’s age-based regulation is consistent with measures taken by other states and upheld by other courts across the country. Although regulations differ based on each state’s needs, virtually every state and the District of Columbia has imposed some age-based restrictions on the sale or use of firearms, and at least 19 states and the District of Columbia have enacted a minimum age requirement of 21 for the sale or possession of certain categories of firearms.

This matter is AG Campbell’s latest effort to combat the nationwide gun violence epidemic. In November 2023, AG Campbell launched the Gun Violence Prevention Unit (GVPU), which has leveraged the tools of the AG’s Office to bolster the state’s nation-leading commonsense gun laws. Last month, the Office joined a multistate coalition in support of a Minnesota law that prohibits concealed carry by individuals under the age of 21.

Joining the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office in filing the amicus brief are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.