|
| | SJ0030 | | LRB101 11404 MST 56973 r |
|
|
| 1 | | SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
|
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The United States Congress passed the Brady |
| 3 | | Handgun Violence Prevention Act in 1993 that created the |
| 4 | | National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) among |
| 5 | | other things; and
|
| 6 | | WHEREAS, The National Instant Criminal Background Check |
| 7 | | System is the national system that enables federal firearms |
| 8 | | licensees to initiate a background check through the Federal |
| 9 | | Bureau of Investigation or a state point of contact to check |
| 10 | | all available records to identify persons who may be prohibited |
| 11 | | from receiving or possessing firearms; and
|
| 12 | | WHEREAS, Background checks are meant to ensure that people |
| 13 | | who are legally prohibited from owning, acquiring, or |
| 14 | | possessing firearms, such as criminals, mentally unstable |
| 15 | | individuals, or other persons enumerated in Section 8 of the |
| 16 | | Firearm Owners Identification Card Act are unable to do so; and
|
| 17 | | WHEREAS, Firearm Owners Identification Card background |
| 18 | | check information and the National Instant Criminal Background |
| 19 | | Check System are only as good as the information submitted by |
| 20 | | the courts and law enforcement; and
|
| 21 | | WHEREAS, The Firearm Owners Identification Card Act |
|
| | SJ0030 | - 2 - | LRB101 11404 MST 56973 r |
|
|
|
| 1 | | requires the courts and the Department of State Police to fully |
| 2 | | comply with the requirements for reporting data submitted to |
| 3 | | the National Instant Criminal Background Check System; and
|
| 4 | | WHEREAS, It is the duty of the Department of State Police |
| 5 | | to revoke and seize a Firearm Owners Identification Card from a |
| 6 | | person prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition, as |
| 7 | | well as to ensure that such persons no longer possess any |
| 8 | | firearms or ammunition; and
|
| 9 | | WHEREAS, Serious gaps in adequately and timely reporting |
| 10 | | information have led to individuals possessing firearms and |
| 11 | | ammunition who were otherwise prohibited from doing so, |
| 12 | | resulting in significant harm to the public safety and welfare; |
| 13 | | and
|
| 14 | | WHEREAS, The Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates |
| 15 | | that, on average, about 3,000 people pass a NICS background |
| 16 | | check annually despite being prohibited under federal or state |
| 17 | | law from purchasing a firearm; and
|
| 18 | | WHEREAS, It is essential that the State improve the |
| 19 | | reporting of information to NICS to maximize the effectiveness |
| 20 | | of background check laws and otherwise ensure that felons and |
| 21 | | mentally unstable individuals do not have access to firearms; |
| 22 | | therefore, be it
|
|
| | SJ0030 | - 3 - | LRB101 11404 MST 56973 r |
|
|
|
| 1 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL |
| 2 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
| 3 | | CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the National Instant |
| 4 | | Criminal Background Check System Compliance Task Force, which |
| 5 | | is charged with the following duties: (1) identify gaps in |
| 6 | | reporting structures and procedures, (2) develop strategies |
| 7 | | and recommendations for addressing those gaps, (3) conduct |
| 8 | | audits of records currently held by the Department of State |
| 9 | | Police, clerks of the circuit court, mental health agencies, |
| 10 | | and other relevant agencies or governmental bodies, (4) |
| 11 | | identify and recommend technological advancements to enhance |
| 12 | | the exchange of information and provide more accountability, |
| 13 | | and (5) identify potential grants and other methods of funding |
| 14 | | to ensure better coordination with the State of Illinois and |
| 15 | | the National Instant Criminal Background Check System; and be |
| 16 | | it further
|
| 17 | | RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall consist of the |
| 18 | | following members, who shall serve without compensation: |
| 19 | | (1) Two members appointed by the President of the |
| 20 | | Senate, one of whom shall serve as Chair; |
| 21 | | (2) Two members appointed by the Speaker of the House |
| 22 | | of Representatives; |
| 23 | | (3) Two members appointed by the Minority Leader of the |
| 24 | | Senate, one of whom is to be the Minority Spokesman; |
|
| | SJ0030 | - 4 - | LRB101 11404 MST 56973 r |
|
|
|
| 1 | | (4) Two members appointed by the Minority Leader of the |
| 2 | | House of Representatives; |
| 3 | | (5) The Attorney General or his or her designee; |
| 4 | | (6) The Director of State Police or his or her |
| 5 | | designee; |
| 6 | | (7) One member representing a statewide association |
| 7 | | that advocates on behalf of firearm owners, appointed by |
| 8 | | the President of the Senate; |
| 9 | | (8) One member representing a statewide association |
| 10 | | that advocates on behalf of firearm safety or violence |
| 11 | | prevention, appointed by the Speaker of the House of |
| 12 | | Representatives; |
| 13 | | (9) One member representing a statewide association |
| 14 | | that advocates on behalf of court clerks, appointed by the |
| 15 | | Minority Leader of the Senate; and |
| 16 | | (10) One member representing a statewide association |
| 17 | | that advocates on behalf of sheriffs, appointed by the |
| 18 | | Minority Leader of the House of Representatives; and be it |
| 19 | | further
|
| 20 | | RESOLVED, That the Attorney General's office shall provide |
| 21 | | staff and administrative support to the Task Force; and be it |
| 22 | | further
|
| 23 | | RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall meet at least four |
| 24 | | times; and be it further
|