April 30, 2021, both bills have been presented to the Committee on Judiciary (JU). The JU has a Republican Majority and it was to be expected that both bills are dead on arrival.
Along with S 294 and S 428, a third bill was laid to rest, H 167 Sale, Transfer, or Storage of Firearms – the House counterpart to S 428.
Just a quick summary of how these bills would have affected the Florida #2A community. The bills were designed to force any gun owner to lock their firearms securely away or put a trigger lock on them, even if the firearm was on the owner's body, while the owner was in his dwelling. Effectively this bill would have removed the following text from section 790.174(1):
… or in a location which a reasonable person would believe to be secure …
and it would have removed:
… except when the person is carrying the firearm on his or her body or within such close proximity thereto that he or she can retrieve and use it as easily and quickly as if he or she carried it on his or her body.
The first part basically takes away the judgment of the gun owner. The law would have required a gun owner to either lock away a gun or make it inoperable by putting a trigger lock or cable lock in place.
The second part basically prohibited the gun owner to carry his firearm in his own house. So even if you would carry your pistol on your body, this bill would have forced you to put a trigger lock or cable lock on the gun while minor children (under the age of 16) are in the same house as the firearm.
Good luck defending yourself with that firearm.
But, we do not have to worry about these bills anymore, at least not for now.
Stay safe out there and remember, "It is better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6."