New Florida bill would strengthen Second Amendment rights at colleges and universities

A Florida state representative recently introduced legislation that would permit college and university students to carry firearms for self defense when they are on campus. 

The legislation, Senate Bill 814, also known as the “Weapons or Firearms at School-sponsored Events or on School Property,” mandates that “persons [can] carry firearms on the property of any college or university,” with the caveat that it stops “persons from storing, rather than possessing, firearms or weapons at a school-sponsored event or on the property of any school, school bus, or school bus stop.”

[RELATED: Harvard course describes ‘Guns in the U.S.’ as a ‘love story’]

The bill, introduced Tuesday, is sponsored by State Sen. Randy Fine. 

“The Second Amendment doesn’t take a vacation because you go to college. This would give people the same rights to carry concealed across the street from college as they will now have on college campuses,” Fine said. 

In introducing the legislation, Fine is following up on a promise he made in 2024. 

At that time, Fine cited as justification for his legislation the need for students to be able to defend themselves, specifically referencing an anti-Semitic attack at the University of Pittsburgh in which an attacker violently assaulted two Jewish students. 

[RELATED: Tennessee law enhancing self-defense on campus goes into effect]

If Fine’s bill passes, it will place Florida among other states that allow “campus carry,” including Arkansas, Georgia, Texas, and Wisconsin.  

Campus Reform has reached out to State Sen. Fine for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.