103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 SB2537

Introduced 3/7/2023, by Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr.

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act

Creates the Straw Purchaser Accountability Act. Provides that whenever any person engages in gun trafficking or intentionally or negligently delivers or causes to be delivered a firearm, firearm ammunition, or a laser sight accessory, firearm silencer, or muffler to: (1) any person who is not legally authorized to possess that item; (2) a person who is purchasing the item on behalf of another person; or (3) any other person the deliverer knows or has reason to know will use the item unlawfully; the deliverer shall thereafter be civilly liable for the commission of any subsequent tortious conduct that directly or indirectly involves the use, attempted use, or threatened use of the item by any person. Provides that a prevailing plaintiff shall be entitled to all relief that would make him or her whole. Provides that persons subject to liability under the Act are jointly and severally liable. Provides that any person who recovers damages under the Act may not recover the same costs or damages under any other Act. Provides that a person who recovers damages under any other Act may not recover for the same costs or damages

under the Straw Purchaser Accountability Act.

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A BILL FOR

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1 AN ACT concerning civil law.

2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,

3 represented in the General Assembly:

4 Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Straw

5 Purchaser Accountability Act.

6 Section 5. Definition. In this Act, "gun trafficking"

7 means a violation or attempted violation of any of the

8 following Sections or subsections of the Criminal Code of

9 2012:

10 (1) Section 24-3 (unlawful sale or delivery of

11 firearms);

12 (2) Section 24-3A (gunrunning);

13 (3) Section 24-3B (firearms trafficking);

14 (4) Section 24-3.3 (unlawful sale or delivery of

15 firearms on the premises of any school);

16 (5) Section 24-3.4 (unlawful sale of firearms by

17 liquor licensee); or

18 (6) subsection (b) or (c) of Section 24-3.5 (unlawful

19 purchase of a firearm).

20 Section 10. Cause of action. Whenever any person engages

21 in gun trafficking or intentionally or negligently delivers or

22 causes to be delivered a firearm, firearm ammunition, or a

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1 laser sight accessory, firearm silencer, or muffler to:

2 (1) any person who is not legally authorized to

3 possess that item;

4 (2) a person who is purchasing the item on behalf of

5 another person; or

6 (3) any other person the deliverer knows or has reason

7 to know will use the item unlawfully;

8 the deliverer shall thereafter be civilly liable for the

9 commission of any subsequent tortious conduct that directly or

10 indirectly involves the use, attempted use, or threatened use

11 of the item by any person.

12 Section 15. Relief. A prevailing plaintiff shall be

13 entitled to all relief that would make him or her whole. This

14 includes, but is not limited to:

15 (1) declaratory relief;

16 (2) injunctive relief;

17 (3) recovery of costs and attorney's fees including,

18 but not limited to, costs for expert testimony and witness

19 fees;

20 (4) compensatory damages including, but not limited

21 to:

22 (A) economic loss, including damage, destruction,

23 or loss of use of personal property, loss of past of

24 future earning capacity; and

25 (B) damages for death, personal injury, and mental

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1 and emotional harm, including medical, rehabilitation,

2 burial expenses, pain and suffering, and physical

3 impairments; and

4 (5) punitive damages if the conduct of the defendant

5 that gave rise to the cause of action was either

6 intentional, reckless, or grossly negligent.

7 Section 20. Joint and several liability. Persons subject

8 to liability under this Act are jointly and severally liable.

9 Section 25. Double recovery prohibited. Any person who

10 recovers damages under this Act may not recover the same costs

11 or damages under any other Act. A person who recovers damages

12 under any other Act may not recover for the same costs or

13 damages under this Act.

14 Section 30. Statute of limitations. Any action based upon

15 or arising under this Act shall be commenced within 5 years

16 after the date of the alleged violation or within 5 years after

17 the date the plaintiff discovers or through the use of

18 reasonable diligence should have discovered the alleged

19 violation. The limitation periods in this Section do not begin

20 to run before the plaintiff attains the age of 18 years; and,

21 if at the time the plaintiff attains the age of 18 years he or

22 she is under other legal disability, the limitation periods

23 under this Section do not begin to run until the removal of the

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1 disability.

2 Section 35. Standard of proof. The standard of proof in

3 any action brought under this Act is a preponderance of the

4 evidence.

5 Section 40. Evidence. Relating to a cause of action under

6 this Act, the fact that a plaintiff or other witness has

7 testified under oath or given evidence relating to an act that

8 may be a violation of any provision of the Criminal Code of

9 2012 shall not be construed to require the State's Attorney to

10 criminally charge any person for the violation.

11 Section 45. Stay of proceedings. The State's Attorney of

12 the county where the acts giving rise to the cause of action

13 occurred may move for a stay of any proceeding brought under

14 this Act, including all discovery, pending the completion of

15 an investigation or prosecution of a criminal case related to

16 the subject matter of a suit brought under this Act.

17 Section 97. Severability. The provisions of this Act are

18 severable under Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes.