Pompano Beach Democratic Rep. Gwyndolen Clarke Reed filed a bill Friday that would change some of the rules on concealed weapons permits in Florida.
HB 935 would require concealed weapons permit holders to tell first responders they have a concealed weapon and present their license and identification. Current law doesn’t require permit holders to tell police they are carrying a weapon. The bill would also increase the fine for not carrying the license from $25 to $1,000.
“This bill would provide a safety measure for the permit holder licensee as well as the law enforcement officer,” Clarke-Reed said. “This respects our citizens’ constitutional rights and makes all of us more accountable.”
The bill also requires 12 hours of training for licensure, including 6 hours of certified firearm training and 6 hours of gun safety training. Current law allows for several courses, such as a hunter education or hunter safety course, to satisfy training requirements, though it does not specify the 12 hour requirement found in Clarke-Reed’s bill.
The Legislature often shoots down legislation that would make it more difficult to get a concealed carry permit, and though Clarke-Reed’s bill mainly changes the fine for permit holders not carrying their paperwork, it faces a tough road to get passed into law.
The just-filed bill has not yet been assigned to any committees.
