TALLAHASSEE, Fla., April 27 (UPI) -- Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has signed a bill giving residents the right to shoot in self-defense anywhere they feel threatened by would-be assailants.
The bill -- signed in Tallahassee as the National Rifle Association's lobbyist, Marion Hammer, looked over Bush's shoulder -- goes into effect Oct. 1, The Palm Beach Post reported.
Floridians already have some of the most gunowner friendly laws in the nation. They have the right to carry concealed weapons and can get around background checks if they buy their firearms at gun shows.
The new law lets people "meet force with force, including deadly force."
It applies when they are under an attack that prevents death or bodily harm.
Residents will no longer have a duty to retreat when they encounter a threat outside the home. The bill said they have the "right to stand his or her ground."
The new law expands an existing statute that allows residents to use deadly force inside their homes.
