On April 22, the Florida House of Representatives voted 74-44 to pass Senate Bill 424, which is intended to prevent insurance companies from discriminating against Florida gun owners.

If signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott, the bill makes it illegal for insurance companies to increase rates or deny coverage for gun-owning citizens. The bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Tom Lee and Rep. Matt Gaetz, has already received accolades from the National Rifle Association (NRA) and other gun advocacy groups, who say that it is designed to help curb discriminatory insurance practices.

The bill’s proponents also claim that many insurance companies currently charge higher rates on insurance policies for gun owners, saying the practice is an infringement on gun owners’ Second Amendment rights. In addition to preventing insurers from canceling policies, refusing new policies or refusing policy renewals to gun owners, SB 424 is designed to make it illegal for insurance companies to disclose information about its policyholders’ guns or other firearms to outside parties.

After the bill passed in the state House of Representatives, the NRA encouraged its members to thank Rep. Gaetz  and Sen. Lee for defending gun owners. Speaking after the vote, Gaetz compared the passage of the bill to historical women’s and African-Americans’ rights movements.

The right to own a gun is protected under the U.S. Constitution but many people in Florida have found that they have been treated unfairly just because they own a firearm. If you believe that your right to bear arms has been ignored or infringed upon, speak with a Tavares criminal defense lawyer right away.