The Vermont Senate passed a bill Friday that will heighten restrictions on firearms, including raising the purchasing age to 21 for many people and banning high-capacity magazines.

The bill, sent to Republican Gov. Phil Scott’s desk, marks the latest move to tighten regulations after a gunman killed 17 people at a high school in Parkland, Fla., last month.



The Vermont bill also marks a significant shift for a state that, despite its liberal reputation, is a largely rural place with a high rate of gun ownership and few historic gun regulations on the books.

But the tone shifted after the Florida shooting and an apparent close call in Vermont that same week, when police said they had thwarted an alleged, potential shooting attack by a teenager on a local high school.

Gov. Scott said in a statement after Friday’s vote that he supports the new bill, along with two other gun-control measures that are advancing in the legislature, because he believes they uphold constitutional rights “while taking reasonable steps to reduce the risk of violence.” A spokeswoman confirmed he plans to sign all three bills pending a technical review.