Florida governor signs ‘school safety’ bill that could arm teachers

Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Friday signed into state law new gun restrictions ─ and a provision that allows teachers to arm themselves ─ crafted in response to the February killing of 17 people at a suburban high school.

The measure — dubbed the “Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act” — raises the age to buy all firearms to 21, imposes a three-day waiting period for most gun purchases, allows trained school workers to carry handguns, provides new mental health programs for schools, and restricts access to guns from people who show signs of mental illness or violence.

Related: Florida Legislature sends gun and school safety bill to governor

Scott announced his support of the bill at a news conference with relatives of the Feb. 14 shooting in Parkland. He said he didn’t agree with part about arming teachers, but went along with it because the bill allows local communities to opt out.

Student activists from the school where the shooting took place followed the bill’s track closely and called it “a baby step.”

Image: Florida Gov. Rick Scott signs the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act Image: Florida Gov. Rick Scott signs the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act

Florida Gov. Rick Scott signs the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, on March 9, 2018, in Tallahassee. NBC News

The Florida state legislature passed the bill this week.

The move was a rare act of defiance against the National Rifle Association, which wields considerable influence in Florida and has supported Scott.

The suspect in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, legally bought the AR-15 rifle he allegedly used to gun down his victims, most of them students, according to authorities.

Related: First deputy at Florida school shooting disregarded training, investigator says

He’d been expelled from the school for disciplinary reasons, and police and court records revealed a long history of complaints about his behavior in the weeks and months leading up to the attack. The missed signs also included tips to the FBI.