For Immediate Release
May 14, 2026
CHICAGO – The Gun Violence Prevention PAC of Illinois (G-PAC), the state’s leading gun violence prevention organization, applauded the Cook County Board of Commissioners for voting today to urge the General Assembly to pass the Responsible Gun Manufacturing Act.
Sponsored by Rep. Justin Slaughter and Sen. Celina Villanueva, House Bill 4471/Senate Bill 2801 will address the growing public safety threat of do-it-yourself machine guns.
DIY machine guns are made using a “switch,” which is no bigger than the size of a coin and turns a standard, semi-automatic pistol into an automatic weapon. Switches are banned both federally and in Illinois, but their availability is growing because they are inexpensive devices that can be easily obtained, including with a 3D printer at home.
According to Everytown for Gun Safety, Chicago police recovered more than 1,600 switches between 2021 and 2024, including at two mass shootings, and they are believed to have been used in shooting deaths of several law enforcement officers.
“DIY machine guns are an urgent public health threat that must be addressed by the Illinois General Assembly this spring,” said Cook County Commissioner Bill Lowry. “With police reporting a growing number of switches at the scenes of violent shootings, DIY machine guns are an extremely lethal threat that lead to a much greater loss of life and number of injuries. The Legislature must continue our progress in the fight against gun violence by passing this bill to protect innocent lives and law enforcement officers.”
The Responsible Gun Manufacturing Act will go further than current law by banning the sale of weapons in Illinois that can be converted into illegal machine guns. It will require gun manufacturers to put in place safer design to prevent weapons from being converted into DIY machine guns. In effect, the bill will prevent convertible guns from being made in the first place.
“We are so grateful to the Cook County Board of Commissioners for their support in urging the General Assembly to pass the Responsible Gun Manufacturing Act,” said Kathleen Sances, G-PAC President and CEO. “This legislation goes to the root of the problem by holding the gun industry accountable for making a product that is easily made into a weapon of war. Just as we hold other companies responsible for their products, gun manufacturers should be held accountable when their product has extremely deadly consequences on American lives.”