Yesterday, an amendment to the “Firearm Concealed Carry Act” was introduced by Representative Ed Sullivan, Jr. (Republican, 51st District-Mundelein), and the bill was referred to the Rules Committee this morning. The amendment would affect the section of the legislation covering the removal of a weapon from a vehicle, specifically if the vehicle is parked in a lot in which concealed carry is not allowed. As the Act stands now, an individual who is licensed to carry a firearm may remove the weapon from his or her vehicle, if the vehicle is parked in a lot not covered by concealed carry, only to store the firearm in the vehicle’s trunk or to remove it from the trunk. Also, the weapon must be unloaded before one takes it out of the vehicle. The amendment would remove the segment of the Act mandating that the weapon be unloaded before it is removed from the vehicle.
For information on House Bill 0319, including its current status, click here.
If you are planning to attend one of the Legislative Meet-ups, this might be a good issue (along with the impact of Governor Rauner’s fiscal policies) to raise with your elected officials.
Also, for an overview of the ongoing impact of the concealed-carry legislation, please see this page from the Illinois Hospital Association’s website. The page focuses, in particular, on the requirements for reporting to the Department of Human Services that an individual is developmentally disabled or poses a danger to one’s self or to others (so that, in certain instances, the Department may determine whether such an individual owns a firearm).