For Immediate Release
September 9, 2024
G-PAC & LAWMAKERS CALL FOR STRONGER SAFE STORAGE LAW IN WAKE OF GEORGIA SCHOOL SHOOTING
CHICAGO — In the wake of last week’s school shooting in Georgia, the Gun Violence Prevention PAC (G-PAC) of Illinois joined with Sen. Laura Ellman and Rep. Maura Hirschauer to announce a push to change Illinois’ gun storage law to prevent minors and other at-risk individuals from accessing deadly weapons and inflicting tragedy.
The Safe Firearm Storage Act (SB 3527/HB 5065) would strengthen existing Illinois law around safe firearm storage to better prevent a tragedy like the horrific shooting that occurred in Winder, Ga. Illinois law, unlike Georgia, requires locked storage of a gun in some cases, but only if there is a person aged 13 or younger living in the house.
The recently proposed safe storage legislation would change the age limit to require secure, locked storage for weapons in a home with a minor aged 18 or younger.
“Simple changes in our laws can help save countless lives, and G-PAC is committed to making those changes with the help of our gun safety champions,” said Kathleen Sances, President and CEO of G-PAC, Illinois’ leading gun violence prevention advocacy organization. “A 14-year-old child should never have access to a firearm. We don’t need to keep living this way.”
“Illinois is committed to leading the charge in gun violence prevention, and the next crucial step is ensuring safe firearm storage,” Ellman said. “Proper gun storage is a lifesaving measure. Incidents like the tragic mass shooting at Apalachee High School should never be considered an inevitable part of life – they are a failure of our system. Legislation that mandates safe storage can help avert such tragedies and address the everyday horrors of unintentional shootings by children and teen gun suicide.”
“Our heart breaks for the families impacted in Georgia’s school shooting, but we won’t just offer our thoughts and prayers – we will act,” Hirschauer said. “We will build on our record of nation-leading gun violence prevention legislation and ensuring safe storage of firearms is a common-sense measure long overdue.”
While the legislation was introduced last spring session, the Illinois General Assembly did not act on it. G-PAC is launching the “Safe At Home” campaign to push for the legislation this fall, as well as a bill to strengthen reporting requirements around lost and stolen weapons.
Details of the Safe Firearm Storage Act:
- Prohibit someone from leaving a firearm outside of their immediate possession or control unless it is unloaded and secured in a lock box or container that makes it inaccessible to anyone but the owner or another legally authorized user.
- Prohibits storing or leaving a firearm where the owner would know a minor, an at-risk person, or someone prohibited from using firearms is likely to gain access to them.
- Defines “Minor” as a person aged 18 and under.
- Adds “At-risk person” as someone who has made statements or exhibited behavior to a reasonable person there is a likelihood the person is at risk of attempting suicide or causing physical harm to oneself or others.
- Adds “Prohibited person” as a person ineligible under federal or state law to possess a firearm.
- Adds civil penalties associated with the failure to safely secure firearms:
- Violations begin at $500 and escalate to $1,000 if a person knowingly prohibited from accessing a gun obtains a weapon.
- Establishes a penalty of $10,000 if a minor, at-risk person, or someone prohibited from having a firearm obtains one and uses it to injure or cause the death of someone or uses it in a crime.
- Fines received from penalties will benefit the Mental Health fund.
- At first violation, court may impose community service or restitution in lieu of civil penalties.
Founded in 2013 by gun violence survivors, G-PAC is committed to ending the gun violence epidemic by supporting the passage of a responsible, common sense gun safety agenda focused on illegal guns and gun trafficking. Learn more about G-PAC: https://gpacillinois.com/.
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