Blagojevich signs gun control legislation

Friday, August 31, 2007 6:04 PM CDT

SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. Rod Blagojevich approved legislation Friday aimed at preventing the sale of guns to individuals who pose a threat to public safety.

Crafted in the wake of last April’s deadly shootings at Virginia Tech, the measure will require the state to contribute information to a federal gun database. Further, it would expand the list of people prohibited from buying a firearm to include mental outpatients judged to be a threat to themselves or others.

“The lessons we learned as a nation from the Virginia Tech tragedy are still very fresh in our minds,” Blagojevich said in a statement. “We must do what we can to prevent future tragedies and make sure guns are kept out of the hands of individuals who could pose a threat to the public.”

The measure was approved in both the House and the Senate by wide margins.

Currently, the state police firearm database includes only patients who have received inpatient mental health treatment.

In participating in the gun database, the state would contribute the names of those rejected from purchasing a firearm in Illinois, but not the reason for the denial.

Supporters, including state Sen. Dan Kotowski, D-Park Ridge, say the measure strikes a balance between public safety and individual privacy rights because gun dealers won’t get details of why a person is being rejected for a gun license.

The law, which goes into effect in June 2008, also is designed to ensure that mental health records are routinely updated. Hospitals and mental health facilities will now be required to report information within seven days as opposed to the previous 30-day requirement.

The legislation is Senate Bill 940.