Preemption of Firearms and Ammunition:
HB 6003 would repeal Florida’s existing statutory preemption of the field of firearms and ammunition regulation, which currently reserves that authority to the state Legislature and limits local governments from enacting their own firearms rules. By removing s. 790.33, F.S., the bill would eliminate the express statewide preemption framework and could open the door to local regulation of firearms and ammunition unless otherwise limited by other state or federal law.
The bill also amends Florida’s “guns in vehicles” law, s. 790.251, to conform it to the repeal and to restate protections for employees, customers, and invitees who lawfully keep firearms locked inside private motor vehicles in parking lots. It preserves restrictions on employer inquiries, searches, employment conditions, and adverse actions based on lawful vehicle storage of firearms, and it continues to bar employers from preventing lawful entry into parking areas because a vehicle contains a concealed firearm. The act would take effect July 1, 2025.
If enacted, the bill would substantially change Florida firearms law by repealing the statute that preempts local regulation of firearms and ammunition to the state, thereby altering the balance of authority between the Legislature and local jurisdictions. It would also preserve and restate workplace and parking-lot protections for lawful firearm possession in private vehicles, affecting public and private employers, employees, customers, and invitees. The bill was reported as dying in the Criminal Justice Subcommittee, so it did not become law.
The available context suggests the bill did not advance beyond subcommittee, indicating limited legislative support or insufficient momentum. Because there are no recorded committee transcripts or votes in the provided materials, there is no direct evidence of debate, but the subject matter implies a highly polarized firearms policy issue. The bill’s failure in the Criminal Justice Subcommittee is consistent with the contentious nature of proposals that would weaken state firearms preemption and expand local regulatory authority.
The central point of contention is the repeal of statewide firearms and ammunition preemption. Supporters of local control would likely favor giving cities and counties more authority to regulate firearms, while opponents would view the repeal as creating a patchwork of local gun laws and undermining uniform statewide standards. A second area of potential dispute is the bill’s continued protection of employees and customers who keep firearms in locked vehicles, which reflects a pro-gun-rights position that may conflict with employer property and workplace safety concerns. No named speakers or recorded votes are provided, so the specific positions of legislators are not available from the supplied context.