Raif dropped me a line about some proposed legislation changes that may well affect Airsoft in Illonois, you can read more about this in the forums:
Arnie:
I am following the news about attempts in the UK to ban airsoft. Thought it would not happen here in the USA. Guess I was wrong! Thought I would drop you a note about this new bill proposed in our state legislature. House Bill 4132 would ban all replicas of “weapons designed for military purposes.” While this appears to be aimed at full size replicas of things like RPGs, clearly this would make airsoft guns illegal (at least those that are copies of military hardware).
I urge any of your Illinois readers to check out the Illinois State Rifle Association’s website at www.isra.org and find out how to contact their local legislators to kill this bill. This also would ban real guns that are otherwise legal in illinois (Garands, M1 Carbines, 1911 handguns).
Bill is reprinted below in its entirety from the state’s website:
“94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
HB4132Introduced 10/20/05, by Rep. Daniel J. Burke
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
720 ILCS 5/24-11 new
Amends the Criminal Code of 1961. Provides that it is unlawful for any person to purchase, possess, use, sell, give away, or otherwise transfer, or to engage in the business of selling, or to exhibit for sale, any replica rocket propelled grenade launcher, bazooka, artillery piece, grenade, mine, bomb, or items similar to weapons designed and manufactured for military purposes or replicas of those items. Provides that a violation is a Class A misdemeanor.
LRB094 14522 RLC 49459 b
CORRECTIONAL BUDGET AND IMPACT NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
A BILL FOR
HB4132 LRB094 14522 RLC 49459 b
1 AN ACT concerning criminal law.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Criminal Code of 1961 is amended by adding
5 Section 24-11 as follows:
6 (720 ILCS 5/24-11 new)
7 Sec. 24-11. Replica military style weapons.
8 (a) It is unlawful for any person to purchase, possess,
9 use, sell, give away, or otherwise transfer, or to engage in
10 the business of selling, or to exhibit for sale, any replica
11 rocket propelled grenade launcher, bazooka, artillery piece,
12 grenade, mine, bomb, or items similar to weapons designed and
13 manufactured for military purposes or replicas of those items.
14 (b) Sentence. A violation of this Section is a Class A
15 misdemeanor.”Thanks for your time and attention.
Raif
