Hirschauer Landmark Safe Gun Storage Bill in Effect

WEST CHICAGO, Ill. – A staunch advocate for safe firearm practices and lessening the rate of preventable gun violence across Illinois, state Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-Batavia, is highlighting a first-of-its-kind safe storage law that went into effect Jan. 1st. 

“This law is a product of hundreds of hours of collaboration among elected officials, advocates, law enforcement and judicial courts. It is fine-tuned to ensure that Illinoisans who legally carry firearms have the information and tools necessary to keep them stored, locked and safe,” said Hirschauer. “Too many headlines detail the uptick of gun violence in our communities—violence that can be prevented by enforcing safe practices that are too often not followed in cases that end tragically. That’s what this safe gun storage law codifies, and ultimately, keeps guns out of the wrong hands.”

Hirschauer successfully led Senate Bill 8 last spring session, also known as the Safe Gun Storage Act, to enhance gun storage safety and address stolen firearm requirements. The new law requires firearm owners to secure their weapons in a locked container, rendering them inaccessible and unusable to anyone except the owner or an authorized user—with an ultimate goal to prevent access to firearms by minors, at-risk individuals, and those prohibited from possessing them. 

Additional provisions in an accompanying measure, House Bill 850, finetunes lost and stolen gun reporting requirements to lower the chance of mishandled firearms trafficked in Illinois communities. Studies show that states with similar laws decreased unintentional shootings by children by 78% and the movement of illegal guns in communities by 46%. 

“Commonsense gun safety and the rights of law-abiding gun owners are not mutually exclusive—in fact they are one and the same,” said Hirschauer. “I’m pleased to see this law go into effect after the tireless work of advocates and law enforcement alike. Making these best practices universal will help save lives and keep our communities strong.”

Senate Bill 8 was signed into law in July of last year. The measure went into effect Jan. 1st.