Florida lawmakers bucked the National Rifle Association on Wednesday to pass new firearms regulations and create a program for arming some school employees in a rare act of Republican compromise on the divisive issue of gun violence.

The response to the slayings at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., signaled a major shift for a state known as a legal laboratory for gun rights activists. It could become a blueprint for other states looking at new measures to address mass shootings.

A bipartisan vote of 67-50 in the state House ended a three-week process in which students marched on the state capital in Tallahassee to demand change. The Senate passed the bill Monday.

The action came on the same day that shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz was formally charged with 17 counts of first-degree murder, which could mean a death penalty if convicted.

The indictment also charges the 19-year-old with 17 counts of attempted murder for the Valentine’s Day massacre at the Parkland high school.

After weeks of debate, lawmakers approved a bill that would impose a three-day waiting period for most purchases of long guns and raise the minimum age for purchasing those weapons to 21. The legislation also includes millions of dollars to improve school security and train and arm school employees.

Federal efforts to further regulate guns and improve the federal background check system have sputtered, caught up in the political divide that has undermined attempts to tighten rules for firearms.

The U.S. Senate has not scheduled any debate on gun legislation, with a bill on background checks stalled. The House of Representatives is planning a vote next week on a new grant program to educate teachers and students about how to identify and intervene when school violence breaks out.

President Donald Trump has not put forward his own school safety proposal, after initially saying he supported arming teachers, raising the age for some purchases and even removing guns from people deemed dangerous before a judicial review.

GOP Gov. Rick Scott, who is exploring a U.S. Senate bid, reiterated his opposition to arming teachers Wednesday but stopped short of threatening a veto.

“I am going to read the bill, and I am going to talk to parents,” he told reporters. “My goal is that this never happens again to a parent in our state.”

Associated Press contributed.