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SB 1214

FIREARM-FIREFIGHTERS EXCEPTION

104th Regular Session Introduced by Neil Anderson and 3 co-sponsors

SB 1214 allows full-time, on-duty firefighters with a concealed carry license and local approval to carry pistols, stun guns, tasers, or other firearms in public or in a vehicle.

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Bill Summary · SB 1214

Summary — SB 1214: Firearm — Firefighters Exception

Status: Enacted (signed by Governor 2025-05-29); Effective date: 2025-09-01
Primary sponsor(s): Sen. Neil Anderson; Co-sponsors include Sen. Terri Bryant, Sen. Dave Syverson, Sen. Chris Balkema
Statute amended: 720 ILCS 5/24‑2 (Criminal Code of 2012 — exemptions to weapons prohibitions)

Purpose / Intent

SB 1214 creates an explicit statutory exemption allowing certain on‑duty firefighters to carry specified weapons in public or in vehicles. The stated intent is to authorize full‑time, sworn, compensated firefighters to carry a pistol, revolver, stun gun, taser, or other firearm while performing duties, provided they meet specified conditions.

Key provisions

  • Adds firefighters to the list of persons exempt from some weapons‑possession prohibitions under 720 ILCS 5/24‑2.
  • Eligibility criteria:
    • Must be a full‑time, sworn, compensated firefighter.
    • Must possess a valid concealed carry license.
    • Must be carrying the weapon while on duty (on their person in public or in a vehicle).
    • Must have been approved to carry on duty by the local governing authority — defined as the mayor, city council, village president, or village board of trustees.
  • Covered weapons: explicitly lists pistol, revolver, stun gun, taser, or other firearm (language mirrors the exemption scope used elsewhere in the statute).

Who is affected

  • Primary: full‑time, sworn, compensated firefighters in the state who obtain a concealed carry license and local approval to carry while on duty.
  • Secondary: local governments (mayor/city council/village president/board) responsible for establishing approval decisions and any local policies; law enforcement and courts (interpretation and enforcement of the exemption); members of the public interacting with on‑duty firefighters who may be armed.

Procedural and implementation notes

  • The exemption is added to Section 24‑2 of the Criminal Code; it conditions the exemption on both possession of a valid concealed carry license and local governmental approval to carry on duty.
  • The statute does not itself prescribe additional training, certification, or operational rules beyond existing concealed carry requirements and the local approval step.
  • Effective date is September 1, 2025 (Governor signed May 29, 2025).
  • Companion measures noted in the legislative record: HB 2438 and HB 489.

Potential impacts (concise, objective)

  • Expands the categories of persons statutorily allowed to carry weapons while on duty, shifting responsibility for authorization to local elected bodies.
  • May require municipalities to adopt procedures or policies for approving on‑duty carrying by firefighters.
  • Raises operational and liability considerations for fire departments, local governments, and public safety coordination (training, storage, use‑of‑force policies) though the bill does not mandate such measures beyond existing concealed carry rules.

Note: The source material provided also contained unrelated bill text from other states (e.g., a pharmacy testing/treatment bill and a Hawaii housing surcharge bill). This summary focuses only on the firearm‑for‑firefighters exemption (SB 1214) as described above.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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