Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined Governor JB Pritzker in Chicago for the signing of House Bill 1373, a new law that requires all local law enforcement agencies in Illinois to participate in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) eTrace program. The initiative is aimed at improving the tracking of firearms recovered at crime scenes.
The legislation, initiated by Raoul and sponsored by State Representative Curtis Tarver and State Senator Bill Cunningham, takes effect immediately. It mandates law enforcement agencies to submit data to the ATF’s National Tracing Center through the eTrace platform, which is used to trace firearms involved in criminal activity.
“Advocating for commonsense gun safety measures has been one of my top priorities throughout my career,” Raoul said. “This law will help strengthen our partnership with the ATF as we work to address gun trafficking and violent crime. We cannot fully prevent gun violence unless every law enforcement agency in Illinois uses all available resources to trace firearms.”
Previously, law enforcement participation in eTrace was voluntary. Under the new law, agencies must now use the platform whenever a firearm is recovered at a crime scene, believed to have been used in a crime, possessed unlawfully, or discovered abandoned, lost, or discarded.
Governor Pritzker emphasized the law’s role in reducing gun violence across the state. “Illinois has been one of the most aggressive states in the nation in combating the epidemic of gun violence that has plagued our communities,” Pritzker said. “We’ve worked closely with law enforcement and frontline communities to develop effective solutions. This law supports those efforts and promotes safer communities.”
Cunningham, who represents parts of Chicago and the southwest suburbs, said the legislation gives police the tools needed to track illegal firearms and the people who traffic them. “Sharing gun tracing data across jurisdictions will help solve crimes and get dangerous individuals off our streets,” he said.
The new law also integrates with the Attorney General’s Crime Gun Connect platform, a statewide database that includes more than 100,000 crime gun trace records going back to 2009. Crime Gun Connect was designed to assist law enforcement by providing access to crime gun data from both state and federal sources.
House Bill 1373 is part of Raoul’s broader strategy to curb gun violence in Illinois. His office collaborates with local law enforcement to fight gun trafficking and continues to advocate for tighter regulation of ghost guns and 3D-printed firearms. Raoul has also led efforts to educate prosecutors and police about Illinois’ red flag law and address issues within the state’s firearms licensing system. The Attorney General’s office also pursues legal action against individuals who provide false information on Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card applications.
Beyond law enforcement, Raoul’s office supports victims of violent crime through its Violence Prevention and Crime Victim Services Division, which funds and assists trauma-informed programs for survivors and their families.
For more information about the Attorney General’s gun violence prevention efforts and available victim services, visit illinoisattorneygeneral.gov.