Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN Legal & Legislation

Florida Alert! Church Carry bill PASSES in House Criminal Justice Committee

Thursday, February 11, 2021

DATE:  February 11, 2021
TO:      USF & NRA Members and Friends
FROM:  Marion P. Hammer
  USF Executive Director
  NRA Past President

On Wednesday, February 10, 2021, the House Criminal Justice Committee heard and PASSED HB-259 sponsored by Rep. Jayer Williamson (R) & Rep. Cord Byrd (R) 

The bill is co-sponsored by Reps. Alexander Andrade(R), Tommy Gregory (R), Fred Hawkins (R), Ralph Massulo, Jr. (R), Spencer Roach (R), Anthony Sabatini (R), Jason Shoaf (R), Tyler Sirois (R) and Clay Yarborough (R). 

HB-259 is a bill to restore the constitutional right of churches and church goers to protect themselves and their families while in a religious institution. 

There are eighteen (18) members of the House Criminal Justice Committee -- six (6) are Democrats and twelve (12) members are Republicans. 

HB-259 Passed by a vote of 14-3 with all Republicans in attendance and 3 Democrats voting in Favor of the bill.  Freshman Republican Demi Busatta Cabrera was absent. 

 

VOTING IN FAVOR OF THE BILL                VOTING AGAINST THE BILL

Chair, Cord Byrd (R)                                                Kevin Chambless (D)

V-Chair, Chuck Brannan (R)                                  Dianne Hart (D)

*MR, Michael Grieco (D)                                       Andrew Learned (D)

Webster Barnaby (R)

James Bush III (D)

Elizabeth Ferrerhoff (R)

Tommy Gregory (R)

Brett Hage (R)

Patt Maney (R)

Alex Rizzo (R)

Spencer Roach (R)

John Snyder (R)

Kaylee Tuck (R)

Patricia Williams (D)

*Minority Ranking Member 

 

Committee Members DEBATING IN FAVOR of the bill were: Webster Barnaby (R), Tommy Gregory (R), Michael Grieco (D). 

https://thefloridachannel.org/videos/2-10-21-house-criminal-justice-public-safety-subcommittee/ 

HB-259 was last on the agenda so you can advance the bar at the bottom of the screen to 32:00 / 1 Hour and 3 Minutes into the meeting.

 

BACKGROUND 

HB-259 is a bill to restore the private property rights of religious institutions.  Also restored by this bill -- for people who go to church -- are the same rights they have when they go shopping or into any business or onto any other private property. 

By law, under Florida Statutes in s.790.06 law-abiding citizens may receive licenses to carry concealed weapons and firearms (CWL) for lawful purposes. 

Places where license holders are NOT AUTHORIZED to carry firearms are listed in s.790.06(12).  Nothing in that section prohibits license holders from carrying in churches, synagogues or other religious institutions.  

Nonetheless, anti-gun agitators have inserted language in other parts of the statutes that has been interpreted to prohibit firearms in religious institutions if any kind of child care is every conducted, at any time, on the private property of the church, synagogue or other religious institution.  That means if child care is conducted Monday-Friday from 9-5, no firearms are EVER allowed at any time including on Saturday or Sunday or any holiday. 

This bill will put a stop to that and will allow license holders to carry on church property (just like any other private property) unless the specific church prohibits it. 

If a church or other religious institution prohibits the right to carry and self-defense rights by CWL license holders, the license holder can choose to use another religious institution if desired. 

There are over 2 Million firearms license holders in our state.  They are around children all day, every day, where parents take children shopping or anywhere outside the home. They pose no danger to children or anyone else. Nobody even knows who is and who is not carrying.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TRENDING NOW
Gun Control “Journalist” Says the Quiet Part Out Loud

News  

Monday, September 8, 2025

Gun Control “Journalist” Says the Quiet Part Out Loud

Pure gun control. As in disarmament and banning of firearms. It’s rare that anti-gunners get straight to the exact point that we have been warning of for decades. 

The Desperate Deflection to the “Red State Murder Problem”

News  

Monday, September 8, 2025

The Desperate Deflection to the “Red State Murder Problem”

California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) may have thought he had scored against President Donald Trump in a recent war of words over rampant crime and the deployment of federal law enforcement agents to Democratic-led cities

Illinois: Governor Signs Mandatory Firearm Storage Law

Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Illinois: Governor Signs Mandatory Firearm Storage Law

Earlier this month, Governor JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 8 into law. This legislation imposes new mandatory firearm storage requirements on law-abiding gun owners.  

Florida: Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday Signed by Governor

Monday, July 7, 2025

Florida: Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday Signed by Governor

Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed the Florida Budget for Fiscal Year 2025–2026, which includes a Second Amendment sales tax holiday from September 8 through December 31, 2025. The NRA is thankful for Governor DeSantis’ strong ...

Due Process: The Backbone of Legal Legitimacy

News  

Monday, September 8, 2025

Due Process: The Backbone of Legal Legitimacy

Close observers of the gun debate often see references to due process.

Report: Senior ATF Official Joins (Private) Firearm Prohibition Lobby

News  

Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Report: Senior ATF Official Joins (Private) Firearm Prohibition Lobby

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is the federal agency whose jurisdiction encompasses federal firearms laws. 

Arkansas Atrocity Highlights Need for Reform in Rules Governing Carry in Public Parks

News  

Monday, August 25, 2025

Arkansas Atrocity Highlights Need for Reform in Rules Governing Carry in Public Parks

On the heels of the shocking and seemingly random murder of a couple in an Arkansas state park while they were walking a trail with their young children, many are revisiting their self-defense plans in the great ...

Update: North Carolina House Reschedules Veto Override Vote

Tuesday, August 26, 2025

Update: North Carolina House Reschedules Veto Override Vote

Today, the House rescheduled the veto override vote on Senate Bill 50, Freedom to Carry NC, to Monday, September 22. 

ABAs Latest Resolution Continues to Ignore Liberty and Hinder Justice for Gun Owners

News  

Tuesday, September 2, 2025

ABAs Latest Resolution Continues to Ignore Liberty and Hinder Justice for Gun Owners

Last month, the American Bar Association (ABA), via its Standing Committee on Gun Violence, passed yet another anti-gun resolution at their annual meeting in Toronto (the venue should serve as a clue regarding their commitment ...

Third Circuit Sua Sponte Takes NRA’s “Assault Firearm” and Magazine Ban Case En Banc

Wednesday, August 27, 2025

Third Circuit Sua Sponte Takes NRA’s “Assault Firearm” and Magazine Ban Case En Banc

Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs v. Attorney Gen. New Jersey is an NRA-supported challenge to New Jersey’s prohibitions on so-called “assault firearms” and magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds.

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.