TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. Rick Scott signed a school safety and gun reform bill after meeting with the families of the Stoneman Douglas massacre Friday.
"What I'm proud of in this state is that we reacted to a horrible situation. Our legislature came together, these families showed up. They were active, students were active, the state was active. We got historic legislation done. It's going to make our schools safer," Scott said.
The bill, which passed this week in the Florida House and Senate, raises the minimum age to buy rifles from 18 to 21, extends a three-day waiting period for handgun purchases to include long guns and creates a handgun training program for school employees in districts that decide to allow the guns in schools.
"What we did here in Florida is incredible -- a bipartisan bill in three weeks. It's unheard of, and we did it. We all came together as one party," Andrew Pollack, whose daughter, Meadow, was killed in the mass shooting, said.
Arming teachers has been something that many Parkland students and families have said they are against.
Families also expressed their disappointment in the lawmakers' decision to not include a ban on assault-style weapons in the bill.
This is the first bill Scott has signed into law this session.
Authorities said 17 people were killed and 17 were injured Feb. 14 when Nikolas Cruz opened fire at the Parkland high school with an AR-15 rifle.
The Broward County Public School District announced Friday that it would no longer accept grants from the National Rifle Association.
