ORLANDO, Fla. — In the months following the shooting at Parkland High School on Valentine’s Day 2018, Florida lawmakers worked to strengthen gun laws, but the fierce debate about gun reform and school safety continues.

“It’s controversial. There is no question about it. But so are shootings. And so are hurt people and dead people. We also have to make sure we are realistic about it,” said Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, who is the Chair of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Safety Commission.

Since the commission formed in 2018, there have also been several legislative changes.

That same year, then Governor Rick Scott signed Senate Bill 7026 into law, otherwise known as the “Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act.”

The bill:

• Allowed for armed school guardians
• Banned bump stocks
• Added new requirements for mental health services and training

“After that shooting came up with a number of recommendations that have all been good. A lot of it has to do with increased funding and finding ways of spotting children who have mental health issues that was really the heart of the issue. So I’d say they did a pretty good job over the last few years with that,” GOP Representative Anthony Sabatini who represents Lake County, said.

Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith, a Democrat who represents Orange County, voted against the bill.

“Arming teachers is a non-starter. It’s a non-starter and bringing guns into the classroom from individuals who are not adequately trained and can allow the firearm to get into the wrong hands is begging for problems and it’s very dangerous,” Guillermo Smith said.

In 2019, Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 7030 into law. The bill added onto the 2018 Public Safety Act with provisions including:

• Developing a standardized behavioral threat assessment instrument
• Expediting the transfer of student records from school to school

Gualtieri believes continued improvement to accessing information and expanding threat assessment teams is critical.

“That’s something we’re going to tackle here in the next couple of months and move the needle further,” he added.

Both Guillermo Smith and Sabatini agree more needs to be done, however, they differ on what that solution is.

“The reality is we can’t solve the epidemic of gun violence in the state of Florida and in the country through mental health reforms. The problem is the weapon and easy access to weapons of war like military style weapons that are consistently used in mass shootings across the United States,” Guillermo Smith expressed.

“There needs to be an increase in behavioral health and mental health in the school system. The focus needs to be on detecting kids who have mental health issues, not on scripting the rights of law, abiding citizens,” Sabatini explained.

In the past 2 years, several firearms related bills have passed, although not directly related to school safety. 

As for this current legislative session, lawmakers are currently debating a school safety bill and several firearm related bills, including HB 103, sponsored by Sabatini, which would allow individuals to carry a firearm without a license.  

Guillermo Smith sponsored HB 199, which would prohibit the sale, transfer, or possession of assault weapons or large-capacity magazines. 

Both lawmakers have introduced these bills before. So far, neither has passed.

Gualtieri says while school safety has improved since Parkland, there’s room for a lot more.

In the upcoming months, the Safety commission is also going to look at which school districts full comply with the law, and if not, make sure those districts implement all requirements.