PARKLAND, Fla. — Six years after the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School took the lives of 17 people, a bill aimed at repealing some of the changes made in the wake of the shooting is working its way through the Florida legislature.

HB 1223 would allow anyone 18 and older to purchase a long gun or rifle. The bill would repeal a change made in the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Act that bans anyone younger than 21 years old from buying a firearm.

The bill has already worked its way through two committees in the Florida House of Representatives and is scheduled for a hearing in the Judiciary Committee.

This is the second year in a row that a bill aimed at changing the age to buy firearms has been filed. HB 1223 is sponsored by Republicans Bobby Payne from Putnam County and Tyler Sirois from Brevard County.

Last year, Sirois stated he supported lowering the age to purchase a firearm because at age 18 people are considered adults and can serve in the military.

The bill lacks a Senate sponsor and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo said she has no interest in moving the bill forward. 

During a press conference Tuesday, Democratic House Rep. Dan Daley says for the families of the Parkland victims who fought hard for these changes, it’s painful every time lawmakers have this discussion.

“Here we are opening that wound through every committee it goes through, why are we doing this?” Daley said. “That bill and so many others are a slap in the face to my community. To the victims and their families. It really is absurd.”

Debbi Hixon, who lost her husband Chris in the shooting, is one of many grieving family members a part of the organization ‘Stand With Parkland.’ The group has rallied in Tallahassee in hopes this bill does not move forward.

“I’m happy to say it was thwarted based on ‘Stand With Parkland’ going to Tallahassee to speak with lawmakers so at least for this year that won’t be something that comes to fruition,” she said.

A second House bill, HB 17, wants to change the law that allows the state to take more than three days to complete a background check for a prospective gun buyer. That bill is waiting to be heard in the judiciary committee.