Illinois Majority Caucus Chairman Ira I. Silverstein has introduced a new bill (SB2656) in the Illinois General Assembly to require that gun owners have liability insurance.  This bill covers willful as well as accidental shootings by the owner or others.  It covers lost or stolen guns until they are reported.

This would be very helpful legislation if adopted as introduced and could form the basis of a more detailed and developed requirement to cover more victims.  Because it designates continued responsibility for unreported stolen guns it recognized the important of gun theft for supply to illegal gun possession.

The most important amendment suggested by this blog is to make owners have continued effective ownership and responsibility for guns voluntarily transferred to prohibited persons either knowingly or with negligent lack of precautions.

The official synopsis of the bill as introduced is:

Amends the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act. Provides that the Department of State Police has authority to deny an application for or to revoke and seize a Firearm Owner's Identification Card previously issued under the Act if the Department finds that the applicant or the person to whom the card was issued is or was at the time of issuance not covered by a policy of liability insurance in the amount of at least $100,000 specifically covering any damages resulting from negligent or willful acts involving the use of a firearm while owned or carried by the person. Provides that a person shall be deemed the owner of a firearm after the firearm is lost or stolen until the loss or theft is reported to the police department or sheriff of the jurisdiction in which the owner resides.

The language to be added to the requirements for a Firearm Owners Identification Card is [in list of person’s who cannot be issued the card]:

(v) A person who has not been issued a policy of
liability insurance in the amount of at least $100,000
specifically covering any damages resulting from negligent or willful acts involving the use of a firearm while owned
or carried by the person or whose liability insurance has been cancelled, not renewed, or revoked. For the purposes of this subsection (v), a person shall be deemed the owner of a firearm after the firearm is lost or stolen until the loss or theft is reported to the police department or sheriff of the jurisdiction in which the owner resides.