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RIFL ACT LOBBY DAY - MAY 26

SPRINGFIELD

 

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​​​​​​​​​​WHAT IS THE RIFL ACT? ​

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Illinois Considers Bill to Make Manufacturers Pay the Cost of Gun Violence

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If passed, the Responsibility in Firearm Legislation (RIFL) Act would divert taxpayer money back to Illinois communities

 

Dylan Thomas Blaha

May 15

  

Who should foot the bill for the cost of gun violence in Illinois? Should that burden fall on taxpayers or gun manufacturers? Whether you knew it or not, that debate is happening right now in the Illinois State Capitol.

 

According to gun violence data from the RIFL Coalition, which is composed of over 60 national and Illinois organizations, 4,994 individuals are shot in a typical year, including 1,719 fatally from suicide, homicide, and accidents. The direct and indirect costs from these shootings are monumental. Illinois’ annual bill adds up to $18-20 billion.

 

How much do firearm manufacturers pay? Exactly zero dollars.

Instead of handing the bill to the companies responsible, these costs are shouldered by the injured parties, taxpayers, municipalities, the state, the privately insured, hospitals, insurance companies, and small businesses.

 

The Responsibility in Firearm Legislation (RIFL) Act is here to finally change that.

 

You might be asking, why do gun manufacturers face no burden or consequences for their role in gun violence?

 

Look no further than the Protection in Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (2005). This provides the Firearm Industry with unique immunity from the inevitable and predictable harm their products cause.

 

Meanwhile, Illinois residents are struggling. On top of contending with the rising costs of gas, groceries, housing and more, Illinoisans are footing the bill for Illinois gun violence deaths and injuries.

To make matters worse, Trump’s fascist regime terminated $820 Million in grant funding for violence reduction, victim services, reentry, and other public safety efforts, resulting in layoffs for Illinois-based organizations and threatening capacity.

 

 

According to The RIFL Coalition, “The RIFL Act requires finished firearm manufacturers to share the direct costs of firearm injury with the wounded, their families, and the public through annual contributions to a fund in order to provide resources to survivors, community violence intervention, and prevention efforts.”

 

The RIFL Act Coalition officially reached Roll Call in the Illinois State House and Senate in April, with 48 House co-sponsors and 26 Senate co-sponsors, and they’ve set their sights on a May passage.

 

Illinois Senate co-sponsors include Peters, Villanueva, Fine, Cervantes, Johnson, Edly-Allen, Villa, Simmons, Murphy, Guzman, Lightford, Morrison, Cunningham, Hunter, Villivalam, Feigenholtz, Ventura, Faraci, Ellman, Preston, Martwick, Jones III, Porfirio, and Walker.

 

Illinois House co-sponsors include Olickal, Mah, Hirschauer, Stava, Guzzardi, Cassidy, Moeller, Canty, Syed, Blair-Sherlock, Faver Dias, Hernandez, Didech, Katz Muhl, Mussman, Grasse, Yang Rohr, Deuter, Mason, Croke, Rashid, Gonzalez Jr., Ortiz, Gonzalez Jr., Gong-Gershowitz, Davis, Slaughter, Crawford, Evans Jr., B. Hernandez, Buckner, Vieyers-Martın, Jimenez, Maytiela, Gabel, Avelar, Du Buclet Cochran, L. Hernandez, Davis, Andrade, Ford, Ammons, Harper, Jones, west, Williams, and Delgado.

 

The bill is certainly not the first of it’s kind. There are plenty of precedents for the RIFL Act, including Worker’s Compensation, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund and Asbestos Injury Trust Funds.

 

RIFL Act funds will support the 2021 Reimagine Public Safety Act, sponsored by Senator Robert Peters and Representative Justin Slaughter, which sought to invest $100 million each year by creating an Office of Firearm Violence Prevention. Since its passage, the OFVP has invested $450 million across 42 communities statewide, transforming Illinois into a nationwide leader in public safety and community violence intervention.