The proposed Responsibility in Firearm Legislation, or RIFL Act, would create a licensing fee for any gun manufacturer that does business in Illinois.
Gun makers are immune from civil lawsuits from victims of gun violence. But the sponsor said this is a legal approach.
State Representative Kevin Olickal, a Skokie Democrat, said the revenue from the fees would go to a fund to support those impacted by gun violence and their families. He said the fees will depend on the safety features of specific weapons sold and how many injuries are attributed to them.
“So different manufacturers would have a different level of responsibility to pay into this fund based on how often their firearms are being found utilized in these incidents,” Olickal said.
If the bill were to pass, opponents warn the new fee might lead to some companies to pass the increased cost onto consumers.
Olickal said gun manufacturers could also implement some safety features to decrease the licensing fee.
“It's either they can decide we're not going to try to make our product any safer and shift the burden onto the consumer or like we've seen in with automobiles, they've done things like include safety features like seat belts, airbags,” Olickal said.
He said the bill won’t come up during fall veto session, but he is building support to potentially pass it in the spring session.
