Press Release

Governor Signs Bill Providing Common Sense Gun Reform in Illinois

January 17, 2019

Activists Protest Chicago Police Department, Rahm Emanuel — CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 31: Demonstrators calling for an end to gun violence and the resignation of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel march through downtown on December 31, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. The shooting deaths by police of a 19-year-old college student Quintonio LeGrier and his 55-year-old neighbor Bettie Jones and a recently released video showing the shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke have sparked dozens of protests in the city. Yesterday Emanuel announced several changes that would take place in the police department with the hope of preventing future incidents. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a bill today that will make it easier to oversee and track down careless gun dealers in Illinois. Senate Bill 337 creates the Combating Illegal Gun Trafficking Act, the Firearm Dealer Certification Act and Gun Trafficking Information Act, which will collectively require annual training for gun dealers, mandate safe storage of their weapons to prevent theft, effectively require that employees at gun dealer businesses also undergo background checks, and prohibit new gun dealers from opening a business within 500 feet of any school or daycare.

“The bill’s passage is a major victory for gun violence prevention and brings the U.S. one state closer to protecting people’s human rights by making our communities safer,” said Emily Walsh, campaigner for Amnesty International USA. “The ability to go about your daily life in security and dignity, free from fear, is at the very cornerstone of human rights. Today’s leadership affirmed that in Illinois.

“More work is needed to end a crisis where nearly 100 people a day die by firearms in the United States. Illinois sets an example for the country by prioritizing people’s safety and implementing common sense measures that will save lives.”

BACKGROUND

Gun violence has become so prevalent in the United States that it amounts to a human rights crisis, Amnesty International stated in a report released in September 2018.