The House of Representatives took up a measure this week that had already passed the Senate on May 31, which would allow for individuals to voluntarily offer their fingerprints in exchange for a more automatic renewal of their FOID cards and CCL licenses. Approved by the House on June 15, the bill now heads to the Governor.

State Senator Syverson says House Bill 562 is simply a gateway bill to mandating fingerprints and just another effort by the majority to assault Illinoisans’ Second Amendment rights.

House Bill 562, as passed by both chambers, does the following:

• Encourages but does not require fingerprinting. Those who agree to fingerprinting are granted a streamlined process for renewal of FOID cards and CCL licenses.
• Requires person to person firearms transfers to be subject to NICS at a federal licensed firearms dealer or through online validation by Illinois State Police using NICS.
• Requires seller to provide a record of a private transfer of a firearm to an FFL within 10 days of sale. Caps the fee that the FFL may charge at no more than $25. Requires FFLs to keep the record of transfer for 20 years. On the demand of a peace officer, transferees have to identify the FFL dealer maintaining the transfer record (penalty is a Class A misdemeanor).
• Requires Illinois State Police to establish a public database of all firearms that have been reported stolen to be checked prior to the transfer of any firearm to prevent the inadvertent transfer of stolen firearms.
• Tasks the Violent Crime Intelligence Task Force to conduct enforcement operations against those with revoked FOID Cards.