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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
SUPPORTING THE RESPONSIBILITY IN FIREARM LEGISLATION (RIFL) ACT (HB 3320 / SB 2279)
WHEREAS, The Responsibility in Firearm Legislation (RIFL) Act (HB 3320 / SB 2279) offers a fair, evidence-based solution by establishing a no-fault Firearm Injury Restitution Fund financed entirely by firearm manufacturers; and
WHEREAS, firearm injuries in Illinois generate an estimated $18-20 billion in direct and indirect costs each year in medical care, mental health treatment, criminal justice, law enforcement, lost productivity, funeral and burial expenses; and
WHEREAS, firearm injury is the number one cause of death for children and teens, pregnant women, and means by which suicide is committed; and
WHEREAS, despite this staggering financial and human toll, firearm manufacturers have been exempted from indirect regulation through tort liability by the 2005 federal law, the Protection in Lawful Commerce in Arms Act; and
WHEREAS, the tobacco, opioid, and other comparable industries have been held financially accountable for their for-profit activity’s exorbitant social costs; and
WHEREAS, the RIFL Act ensures that entities profiting from firearm sales share responsibility for the public costs and harm caused by their products, modeling its framework after longstanding and effective no-fault schemes such as Workers’ Compensation and the State Guaranty Association; and
WHEREAS, this fund will provide support for medical and mental health care, rehabilitation, and other direct expenses following firearm injury-providing essential support to victims and their families while also providing additional funding support for proven community violence and suicide prevention efforts; and
WHEREAS, in 2025, Cook County expanded evidence-based investments in gun violence prevention and intervention by supporting residents most at risk of gun violence and survivors of violence, strengthening the county’s overall safety infrastructure through the successful Cook County Community Violence Intervention (CC-CVI) initiative; and
WHEREAS, in 2026, Cook County investing an additional $5 million in grant funding under the Suburban Cook County Wraparound Services for Survivors of Gun Violence (SCC-SGV) initiative; and
WHEREAS, in addition to funding gun violence prevention services, Cook County has invested $44 million in the Stronger Together Initiative to address behavioral health inequities across the county; and
WHEREAS, these efforts are producing measurable results, with gun homicides in Cook County down more than 35 percent from 2024 and over 45 percent from 2021; and
WHEREAS, Cook County Health, one of the largest public health systems in the nation serving as a safety-net for health care in Chicago and suburban Cook County, declared gun violence as a public health epidemic; and
WHEREAS, Cook County’s progress illustrates the importance of policies like the RIFL Act that will ensure communities can sustain and scale effective strategies that reduce violence; and
WHEREAS, the Act introduces transparency and accountability by requiring law enforcement agencies to collect and report annual firearm recovery data-including manufacturer and model information-so that annual contributions are tied to actual impact, thereby incentivizing safer product design and responsible business practices; and
WHEREAS, for over a century, no-fault systems like Workers’ Compensation have successfully balanced economic responsibility with public welfare, demonstrating that equitable frameworks can protect both communities and industries; and
WHEREAS, the RIFL Act Coalition, comprised of more than sixty organizations nationally and across Illinois, has united in strong support of this legislation, recognizing its potential to reduce financial hardship, promote fairness, and advance public safety statewide; and
WHEREAS, Cook County and its residents, like communities across Illinois, bear a disproportionate share of the costs and consequences of firearm-related injuries, and it is therefore both fiscally responsible and morally imperative for the County to support measures that equitably distribute these costs; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board of Commissioners expresses its strong support for the Responsibility in Firearm Legislation (RIFL) Act (HB 3320 / SB 2279) and urges the Illinois General Assembly to advance and enact this legislation during the 104th General Assembly legislative session; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that suitable copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor of Illinois, the President of the Illinois Senate, the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, and the Cook County delegation to the Illinois General Assembly, to affirm Cook County’s support for responsible, equitable firearm legislation.
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