Springfield, IL… State Senator Neil Anderson filed Senate Bill 1754 to repeal the outdated and redundant Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) Act, which was created over 50 years ago prior to technology allowing for instant background checks.
“The citizens of Illinois should no longer have to deal with the unnecessary burden of applying and renewing a FOID card that has outlived its purpose,” said Sen. Anderson. “It’s just another way of impeding on law-abiding citizens’ Second Amendment right.”
Senate Bill 1754 would eliminate the need to own a FOID card, while not changing any of the other existing requirements of purchasing a firearm. Strict federal background checks would still be in place.
Sen. Anderson noted the current process has become far too lengthy and Illinois firearm owners should not have to endure this burden any longer.
“The FOID Act is now over 50 years old, making the process very outdated with the advancements made since,” said Sen. Anderson. “Illinois is one of the few states to still require this kind of process when purchasing a firearm.”
Sen. Anderson’s legislation comes amid continued long delays within the Illinois Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card processing system. Recently, the Illinois State Police stated that it is taking them an average of 121 days to process new FOID card applications.