Fix The FOID Act Passes Illinois House After Lengthy Debate

SPRINGFIELD, IL — The Illinois House of Representatives passed the Fix the FOID Act Wednesday, a bill that aims to tighten loopholes in the state's gun laws in the wake of the Feb. 15 shooting that claimed five lives at Henry Pratt Manufacturing in Aurora. The bill, SB 1996, passed by a vote of 62 to 52 and must next be called for a vote in the Senate.

The Bill

The bill has four major goals, the first of which is to require background checks at the point of sale for all gun purchases. This would also apply to unlicensed gun dealers, addressing what has been known as the "gun show loophole."

The Fix the FOID Act also includes a provision to lessen the validity of a FOID card from 10 years to five years.

Those who apply for a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card would be required to submit fingerprints with their applications. The fee for a FOID card would also increase from $10 to $50.

If a FOID card is revoked, Illinois State Police would be required to take action and retrieve any guns in the card holder's possession.

This part of the bill specifically addresses issues that arose from the Henry Pratt shooting. In that case, the shooter, Gary Montez Martin, purchased the gun he used after his FOID application was approved in March of 2014. Martin's FOID was later revoked after his application for a Conceal and Carry License uncovered a prior felony conviction in Mississippi.

The Background

Martin maintained possession of his gun after his FOID was revoked. According to Aurora Police, they have no record of a notification from Illinois State Police to indicate Martin's FOID had been revoked.

A recent investigation by Illinois Police after the Henry Pratt shooting found that fewer than one-third of FOID cards that were revoked in 2018 were surrendered. Under current law, gun owners whose FOID cards are revoked are required to complete and submit a firearm disposition record.

State police say they found that more than 75 percent of people with revoked FOID cards neglected to complete this firearm disposition record.

In another Illinois case, accused Waffle House shooter Travis Reinking, who previously lived in Morton, had his FOID revoked at the FBI's request after an incident at the White House. Former Tazewell County Sheriff Robert M. Huston, now retired, said Reinking agreed to surrender four guns, including the AR-15 later used in the Waffle House shooting, but his father, who was also present and had a valid FOID card, asked for and was given permission to keep them. Jeff Reinking is now accused of illegally returning the guns to his son and is charged with unlawful delivery of a firearm.

Travis Reinking is accused of using the AR-15 to kill four people at a Waffle House near Nashville.

Related: Waffle House Shooting Suspect Had Guns Returned Before Tragedy

The Backlash

Debate over the Fix the FOID Act lasted for three hours in the Illinois House, with lawmakers across the aisle supporting the bill. The debate prompted a widespread range of reactions on social media.

After SB 1966 passed in the Illinois House of Representatives, the Illinois State Rifle Association issued a statement calling the Fix the FOID Act a "dangerous bill." If the bill becomes law, gun rights advocates anticipate an increase in costs related to gun licensing.

Officials from the Gun Violence Prevention PAC (GPAC) shared a statement Wednesday from Nico Bocour, state legislative director at Giffords, the anti-gun violence organization run by Gabrielle Giffords, who was wounded in a 2011 mass shooting in Tucson.

Bocour said, "Gaps in Illinois's strong laws have allowed dangerous individuals to use a firearm to cause devastating tragedies like the shooting in Aurora, Illinois. But state lawmakers didn't just offer thoughts and prayers. They acted to make sure Illinoisans are safe from gun violence at work and in their communities."

Read more:

• Aurora Shooter's FOID Card: Cops Find No Notice of Revocation
• Majority Of Revoked FOID Cards Not Returned: IL State Police
• Fix the FOID Act Aims To Fix Cracks In IL Gun Licensing Laws