For Immediate Release
July 28, 2025
GOV. PRITZKER SIGNS ‘SAFE AT HOME’ MEASURE INTO LAW
G-PAC Joins Advocates & Survivors as Pritzker Once Again Leads on Gun Violence Prevention, Signing Safe At Home into Law to Protect Children, Teens, At-Risk People from Gun Violence
CHICAGO — The Gun Violence Prevention PAC of Illinois (G-PAC), the state’s leading gun violence advocacy organization, applauded Gov. JB Pritzker for signing into law “Safe At Home” (Senate Bill 8), a gun safety measure that will protect more children and at-risk and prohibited people from accessing guns in Illinois.
Gov. Pritzker signed Safe At Home into law in a signing ceremony earlier today surrounded by G-PAC, survivors, advocates and the bill’s legislative sponsors: Senators Laura Ellman and Ram Villivalam and Representatives Maura Hirschauer and Kevin Olickal. The law is the seventh gun safety measure advocated by G-PAC and enacted into law under the leadership of Pritzker and gun safety champions in the Illinois General Assembly.
“With the prevalence of guns in our society today, Safe At Home will better protect our most vulnerable from inflicting harm on themselves and in our communities,” said Kathleen Sances, President and CEO of G-PAC. “Safe At Home becomes the seventh Illinois law that G-PAC has helped pass under the leadership of Gov. Pritzker and the growing number of gun safety champions in the General Assembly. While the White House is rolling back gun safety measures, Illinois has become a leader in the fight to protect communities and families from the ravages of gun violence, thanks to Gov. Pritzker and state leaders.”
Safe At Home will enhance what it means to safely store weapons and strengthen reporting requirements for lost and stolen guns to prevent children, at-risk individuals and criminals from accessing deadly firearms and help prevent guns from being stolen, diverted into illegal markets, and used in gun crime. Working together, these safety measures will protect more children and at-risk and prohibited people from accessing deadly weapons, targeting an increasing number of instances of accidental shootings, suicide, mass shootings, and crime and violence in Illinois communities.
Studies show that in states with similar Safe At Home laws, unintentional shootings by children decreased 78% and movement of illegal guns in communities dropped by 46%.
“In Illinois, we’re committed to stopping senseless and preventable tragedies that claim lives and devastate families and communities,” Sen. Ellman said. “Safe At Home is a lifesaving measure to help avert the heartbreak of unintentional shootings and other acts of violence.”
“Illinois is a leader in gun violence prevention, and I’m proud to help lead Safe At Home into law,” Sen. Villivalam said. “With the level of gun ownership today, our laws must keep up to protect children and other vulnerable populations from accessing weapons and preventing tragedy.”
“I am incredibly proud that Illinois is once again building on its record of leading the country in passing common sense safety measures to ensure we better protect children, teens and people who should not have access to guns,” Rep. Hirschauer said.
“The evidence is clear. Strong, safe storage and stolen firearm reporting will help prevent unintentional shootings, suicides, mass shootings, and gun trafficking,” said Rep. Olickal. “By making it harder for firearms to fall into the wrong hands, this law will save lives and make our communities safer.”
Provisions of Safe At Home include:
- Outlines improved safe storage requirements in homes where a minor, at-risk person, or someone prohibited from using firearms could gain access to them.
- Changes definition of “minor” to a person under 18 years of age (military and national guard excluded).
- Adds civil penalties associated with the failure to safely secure firearms; at first violation, courts may impose community service or restitution.
- Strengthens requirement for reporting a lost or stolen firearm from 72 to 48 hours after the owner first discovers the loss or theft.
- Requires education for gun owners of the obligation to report a lost or stolen firearm at the time of firearm purchase and FOID/CCL application and renewal process.
- Requires ISP to create a portal for law enforcement to report individuals who have failed to report the loss or theft of a firearm.
- Imposes penalty of revocation of FOID card on second violation for failure to report lost and stolen firearms.
Read the research behind Safe At Home and more details in G-PAC’s fact sheet.