HB 53, titled "Jaime's Law," would require background checks for the sale or transfer of ammunition in Florida, in addition to the existing background-check framework for firearms sales. The bill amends section 790.065, Florida Statutes, to place ammunition purchases through licensed importers, manufacturers, and dealers under the same Department of Law Enforcement screening process used for firearms, including completion of a state form, identity verification, fee collection, and a request for a criminal history check through state and federal databases. If the buyer is approved, the department issues a unique approval number; if prohibited, it issues a nonapproval number.
The bill includes a number of exceptions. It would not apply to holders of valid concealed weapons or firearms licenses, certain certified law enforcement and correctional officers, certain out-of-state rifle or shotgun transactions, and limited ammunition transfers at shooting ranges or during hunting, trapping, or fishing when the transferor has no reason to believe the ammunition will be used unlawfully. It also preserves existing procedures for delayed responses, conditional approvals, and later revocation if disqualifying information is discovered. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025.
HB 53 would expand Florida's regulated sales process by extending background-check and approval-number requirements from firearms to ammunition purchases and transfers from licensed sellers. It would also require the Department of Law Enforcement to process ammunition-related checks, maintain related records and security procedures, and coordinate with clerks of court and mental health facilities for disqualifying records. The bill would create or reinforce criminal penalties for false information, unlawful purchases, and violations by licensees, while preserving existing exemptions and confidentiality rules in section 790.065, Florida Statutes.
Based on the bill's progression, the measure appears to have faced limited support in the Legislature and did not advance beyond the Criminal Justice Subcommittee, where it died. No committee transcript or recorded votes were provided, so there is no detailed public discussion in the available materials. The bill's framing as "Jaime's Law" and its focus on background checks suggest it was intended as a public-safety measure, but its failure to move forward indicates the proposal did not secure enough legislative backing.
The main point of contention is the bill's expansion of background checks to ammunition sales, which would impose new compliance duties on licensed dealers and add another layer of state regulation to ammunition access. Supporters would likely view the measure as a gun-violence prevention and public-safety tool, especially because it mirrors firearm screening and includes mental-health and criminal-history disqualifiers. Opponents would likely object to the added regulatory burden, the cost and administrative complexity for dealers and the Department of Law Enforcement, and the broader policy question of whether ammunition should be treated like firearms for purchase screening purposes.