Illinois: Bills Filed For Gun Registration & to Ban Gun Modifications & Private Transfers

Last week, anti-gun legislators filed bills to require registration for many common semi-automatic firearms, ban many firearm modifications, and increase the fee and red tape to apply for a FOID. Please contact your state representative and ask them to OPPOSE House Bills 3212, 3222, and 3245.

House Bill 3212 bans, among other things, “any other device, part, or combination of parts that is designed to and functions to substantially increase the rate of fire of a semiautomatic firearm above the standard rate of fire for semiautomatic firearms that is not equipped with that device, part, or combination of parts.” The bill language does not define “substantially increase,” and could potentially ban changing out factory triggers and recoil springs in semi-automatic firearms. Such modifications done aftermarket, or firearms that come from the factory standard with upgraded parts, are common for lawful purposes such as competition, hunting, and self-defense, to improve a shooter’s ability to safely place rounds on target.

House Bill 3222 requires law-abiding citizens to pay fees to register many commonly-owned semi-automatic rifles, semi-automatic handguns, and shotguns. It is already illegal in Illinois for those who do not have a FOID to possess any firearm. Criminals who illegally obtain such firearms cannot be expected to comply with a registration requirement. A registry serves no purpose other than to facilitate the future confiscation of firearms from those who currently own them legally.

House Bill 3245 bans private transfers of firearms, increases the application fee for a FOID, requires fingerprints for a FOID application, reduces the duration of a FOID to five years, and increases the processing time for a FOID from one calendar month to 30 business days. These changes all make it more difficult and expensive for law-abiding citizens to exercise their Second Amendment rights. Such a proposal failed to pass last session and is deceptively named the “Fix the FOID Act.”

Again, please contact your state representative and ask them to OPPOSE House Bills 3212, 3222, and 3245.