Illinois ‘RIFL’ act sparks fierce debate as lawmakers return to
Springfield
[January 21, 2026]
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributor
(The Center Square) – As Illinois lawmakers convene for the 2026
legislative session, House Bill 3320, Responsibility in Firearm
Legislation Act, is quickly emerging as one of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s most
controversial gun-control proposals, drawing sharp criticism from
gun-rights advocates and strong support from Democratic lawmakers
focused on gun violence prevention.
House Bill 3320 would require firearm manufacturers operating in
Illinois to obtain a new state permit and pay fees tied to the estimated
cost of gun violence.
Aaron Dorr of the Illinois Firearms Association in a recent video said
Pritzker’s RIFL Act is probably the most dangerous gun control bill
Illinoisans have ever seen, and it already has 35 co-sponsors.
“For the first year of implementation, these commie [expletive] have set
the total cost of so-called ‘gun violence’ at $866 million. In other
words, the more popular a gun manufacturer is, the more guns they sell,
the more they get shaken down by the state of Illinois. This is
straight-up economic warfare against firearms manufacturers, designed to
drive them out of the state,” said Dorr.
Supporters of the bill argue it is a response to the financial burden
gun violence places on taxpayers. State Sen. Robert Peters, a Chicago
Democrat and longtime gun-control advocate, said Illinois residents are
already paying the price for firearm-related injuries and deaths.
“Illinois taxpayers pay billions for gun injuries each year, from
hospital bills to emergency response, lost wages to rehabilitation,”
Peters said. “With the RIFL Act, we are demanding the firearm
manufacturing industry share in these public costs with us.”
The legislation would create a new state permit for firearm
manufacturers operating in Illinois. Under the proposal, manufacturers
would be charged annual licensing fees based on their market share and
the state’s estimated cost of gun violence.
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Peters said federal protections have long shielded manufacturers
from financial accountability.
“Since the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, firearm
manufacturers have been shielded from lawsuits and the consequences
of their for-profit activity, leaving taxpayers to effectively
subsidize the negative effects of the firearm industry. The RIFL Act
aims to fund survivors and community violence intervention,” Peters
said. “It shifts costs from working-class families to an industry
that profits an estimated $20 billion a year.”
Under HB 3320, funds collected from manufacturers would be used to
compensate individuals defined as victims of firearm injuries.
Eligible expenses include medical care, mental health services, lost
wages, relocation costs and funeral expenses.
Critics argue the bill’s definition of “victim” is overly broad.
Dorr warned that the language does not distinguish between innocent
victims and individuals injured while committing crimes.
“There’s no carve-out that says they have to be the victim of a
crime,” Dorr said. “A person shot while committing a robbery could
be treated as a victim under this act.”
The bill also includes penalties for noncompliance. Manufacturers
who violate the act could face civil fines of up to $1 million per
month, while firearm retailers could be fined $10,000 per violation
for selling products from unpermitted manufacturers.
Dorr said those penalties are intended to dismantle the firearms
industry in Illinois.
“That’s designed to collapse the entire firearms supply chain in
Illinois,” Dorr said. “Manufacturers, dealers, and ultimately gun
owners are all targets.”
Although HB 3320 did not receive a vote last session, its growing
list of co-sponsors has raised concerns among opponents that the
measure could advance this year.
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