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SB 1206

FIREARMS RESTRAIN-LAW ENFORCE

104th Regular Session Introduced by Jil Tracy

SB 1206 requires public indexes to show the employing agency, not the officer, as petitioner for firearms restraining order filings by law enforcement; takes effect immediately.

Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments
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Bill Summary · SB 1206

Summary — SB 1206: Firearms Restraining Order Act — Law Enforcement Petitioner Identification

Status: Introduced Jan 24, 2025 (by Sen. Jil Tracy). Effective: immediately upon becoming law (per bill text).

Purpose and intent

SB 1206 amends the Firearms Restraining Order Act (430 ILCS 67) to change how law enforcement officers who file petitions for firearms restraining orders are identified on public indexes. The stated aim is to ensure petitions filed by law enforcement officers are publicly listed under the name of the employing law enforcement agency rather than the individual officer who filed the petition.

Key provision(s)

  • Amends the definition/identification of “Petitioner” in Section 5 of the Firearms Restraining Order Act.
    • Where the petitioner is a law enforcement officer, public indexes regarding the petition must refer to the petitioner as the law enforcement agency that employs the officer, not by the officer’s individual name.
  • No other substantive changes to petition standards, respondent rights, or the scope of firearms restraining orders are included in the amendment text.

Who or what is affected

  • Law enforcement officers who file petitions for firearms restraining orders: their individual names would not appear on public indexes; the employing agency would be listed instead.
  • Courts and clerks maintaining public indexes and court records will need to apply the new identification rule for petitions filed by officers.
  • Petition respondents, legal counsel, researchers, journalists, and members of the public who access court indexes may see agency names in lieu of individual officer names for these petitions.
  • Potential indirect effects on privacy and officer safety (reduced public exposure of individual officer names), and on transparency/access to information (public users will have less personal identifying information about the filing officer).

Procedural / timeline aspects

  • Introduced in the Senate on Jan 24, 2025.
  • The bill text specifies it takes effect “upon becoming law,” so the rule change would apply immediately once the bill is enacted and signed.

Potential considerations / impacts

  • Privacy and safety: Listing the agency instead of an individual officer reduces public disclosure of the officer’s identity, which may protect officers from harassment or threats.
  • Transparency and public records: Replacing an individual’s name with an agency name reduces the granularity of public records; affected parties (e.g., respondents or their counsel) would still receive required legal notices through usual service processes, but outside researchers may have reduced ability to identify the individual filer from public indexes.
  • Administrative effect: Court clerks and case-management systems may need minor procedural or technical adjustments to ensure the agency is recorded and displayed in public indexes for these petitions.

Statutory reference

  • Amends: Firearms Restraining Order Act — 430 ILCS 67/5 (definitions and identification of petitioner).

If you want, I can:
- Draft a one-paragraph bill synopsis suitable for a court or press release;
- Compare this change to current practice in Illinois or other states; or
- Identify likely implementation steps that court clerks would need to take.

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

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