SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Michael E. Hastings supported a critical public safety measure to strengthen gun storage standards in Illinois, ensuring firearms are securely stored and kept out of the hands of minors and individuals at risk. Hastings is working to strengthen Illinois’ safe storage laws and expand protections to help keep guns out of the hands of children, at-risk individuals and criminals.

“Far too many preventable tragedies have occurred for nothing to be done,” said Hastings (D-Frankfort). “Safe gun storage will keep weapons out of the hands of criminals protect our children from a nightmare scenario.”

Studies show that unsecured firearms, along with lost or stolen guns, are major contributors to suicides, unintentional shootings, mass shootings, and escalating crime. Nearly 54% of gun owners do not securely lock all of their firearms, and in three-fourths of school shootings, the shooter obtained the firearm from a parent or relative. Alarmingly, 82% of adolescent firearm suicides involve a gun that belonged to a family member.

Currently, Illinois law only requires gun owners to secure their firearms if a child under the age of 14 is present. Senate Bill 8 would expand this requirement to include any minor, regardless of age, ensuring that if a firearm owner knows a child may access their firearm, it must be securely stored in a locked container.

In addition to addressing gun storage, the legislation highlights the broader issue of lost and stolen firearms. An estimated 380,000 firearms are stolen each year from legal gun owners in the U.S., many of which are funneled into illegal markets and used in crimes. Lost firearms are three times more likely to be used in a crime, while stolen guns are nine times more likely to be involved in criminal activity.

States that have adopted secure firearm storage laws have seen up to a 78% decrease in unintentional shootings by children. Similarly, states with lost-and-stolen firearm reporting requirements have experienced a 46% reduction in illegal gun trafficking.

“We see what other states have done to combat unsafe gun storage, and it is working,” said Hastings. “This is commonsense legislation and as a firearm owner I am proud to support it.”

Senate Bill 8 passed the House on Thursday and heads to the governor for final approval.