Costa Howard Supports Legislative Package to Close FOID Loopholes, Invest in State Police Oversight

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – To help prevent tragedies and save lives, state Rep. Terra Costa Howard, D-Glen Ellyn, is supporting a legislative package of reforms that will tighten Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card regulations and create new tools to enforce current gun laws.

“Just a few months ago, five people were killed in a workplace shooting in Aurora by a man who still owned a handgun, despite his long, well-documented criminal history,” Costa Howard said. “We cannot wait any longer to close loopholes that enable dangerous people to obtain and keep firearms. We need to tighten the application process and empower law enforcement officers to confiscate guns from individuals who lose their FOID privileges because of felony convictions.”

Costa Howard is backing Senate Bill 1966, which passed out of the Illinois House today. This measure includes a number of important regulatory changes, including:

• Requiring mandatory finger printing for all FOID applications and renewals, to align with current requirements of Concealed Carry licenses in Illinois;
• Requiring universal background checks for all firearm transfers;
• Streamlining and strengthening the revocation process, to empower law enforcement to swiftly confiscate guns from individuals who lose their FOID privileges;
• Requiring FOID renewal every five years;
• Raising the FOID fee to fund critical law enforcement services.

“We are proud advocates of the Fix the FOID Act, which would prohibit people with violent criminal histories from buying and owning guns in Illinois,” said Kathleen Sances, president and CEO of the Illinois Gun Violence Prevention PAC (G-PAC). “We stand by Representative Costa Howard and the more than 170 organizations who have joined our coalition to strengthen the FOID Act and take practical, effective steps to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people.”