Illinois has adopted a tougher stance against illegal gun trafficking with a new law championed by State Senator Bill Cunningham. The legislation mandates that all guns recovered at crime scenes be traced, broadening investigative tools for police beyond current, limited scenarios. The measure requires every law enforcement agency in the state to participate in the federal eTrace program, providing quicker, more comprehensive data sharing on gun origins and trafficking patterns. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul praised the law, emphasizing the need for collaboration in tracing firearms to address the root causes of gun violence. The law took effect immediately.
“This will give the police the tools they need to track down illegal guns and the criminals that traffic them into our communities,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “Tracing guns used in crimes and sharing data across jurisdictions will help solve crimes and keep dangerous individuals off our streets.”
“Advocating for commonsense gun safety measures has been one of my top priorities throughout my career. I initiated House Bill 1373 as part of that work because law enforcement agencies’ participation in the ATF’s eTrace platform is needed to identify gun traffickers and suspects and patterns behind violent crimes,” said Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. “This law will help strengthen my office’s partnership with the ATF, as we regularly work together to address gun trafficking and other gun crime cases. We cannot truly prevent gun violence unless we make sure all Illinois law enforcement use every resource available to trace crime guns.”
