An outspoken proponent of eliminating gun violence in her community, State Senator Mattie Hunter supported a measure aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and gives law enforcement another tool to stop gun smugglers. The new law requires anyone who sells or transfers a firearm to verify that the recipient has a valid FOID Card; it also establishes that gun owners must report lost or stolen weapons within 72 hours of discovering the loss.

“If your gun is stolen and someone commits a crime with it, then the original owner is the suspected criminal,” Hunter said. “A firearm that is reported lost or stolen has a better chance of being returned to its owner.”

The new law also imposes criminal penalties on people who use revoked FOID cards to purchase guns. Because an individual must undergo a background check before being issued a FOID card, the verification requirement will result more scrutiny of gun buyers’ backgrounds.

“Too often, gangs are using guns bought in person-to-person transactions and deadly weapons are ending up in the wrong hands,” Hunter said. “Gun violence in Chicago is unacceptably high. Families are losing sons and daughters, and our communities are crying for help.”

The new law takes effect immediately.