Villa Calls on Lawmakers to Pass Legislation to Close FOID Loopholes, Invest in State Police Oversight

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – To save lives and prevent tragedies like the recent shooting in Aurora, state Rep. Karina Villa, D-West Chicago, passed a legislative package of new reforms to give law enforcement the tools needed to effectively enforce current gun laws and modernize the application and renewal process for a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card.

“We have seen gun violence senselessly claim the lives of people all over the United States. After the recent shooting in Aurora, right in our own backyard, it is clear that we cannot wait any longer to take action to close loopholes that have allowed unfit individuals to obtain dangerous weapons,” said Villa. “Currently there is no protocol in place to confiscate guns from individuals who lose their FOID privileges, like the gunman in Aurora, who should not have had access to a firearm due to previous violent felony convictions.”

Villa passed Senate Bill 1966 out of the Illinois House, and the measure is now awaiting action in the state Senate. If signed into law, the Fix the FOID Act would help prevent tragedies like the shooting in Aurora by closing loopholes the gunman exploited by taking the following steps:

• Requiring mandatory finger printing for all FOID applications and renewals, as is currently required for Concealed Carry Licenses in Illinois;
• Requiring universal background checks for all firearms transfers;
• Streamlining and strengthening the revocation process, to ensure law enforcement confiscates guns from individuals who lose their privileges; and
• Requiring FOID renewal every five years, and raising the FOID fee to fund critical law enforcement services.

“As gun violence continues to plague our state and nation, we are proud advocates of the Fix the FOID Act that would prohibit people with violent criminal histories from buying guns,” said Kathleen Sances, president and CEO of the Illinois Gun Violence Prevention PAC (G-PAC). “We stand by Rep. Villa and more than 170 organizations who have joined a coalition to put a stop to preventable tragedies, like the recent shooting in Aurora, Illinois.”

For more information, please contact Rep. Villa’s constituent service office at 630-326-9319 or at StateRepKarinaVilla@gmail.com.