Over 20 Lawmakers Back Bill That Could Ban All Firearms Manufacturers

Illinois lawmakers are again making national headlines for an aggressive new gun control proposal that critics say could effectively ban all firearms manufacturers from doing business in the state.

The proposal, officially titled the Responsibility in Firearm Legislation Act – or RIFL Act – was filed as House Bill 3320 in the 104th General Assembly. According to the bill summary, it would require every firearms manufacturer to purchase a state license before selling any firearm in Illinois, starting January 1, 2028.

The twist? The licensing fees wouldn’t be a flat cost. They would be calculated based on what the state determines is each company’s “contribution to the public health costs and financial burdens from firearm injuries and deaths.”

That means the more the state blames a manufacturer for gun-related crime, the more it could charge that company – potentially hundreds of millions of dollars a year.

A Bill That Could Bankrupt Gun Makers

Attorney William Kirk, president of Washington Gun Law, recently warned that HB3320 is “the most evil gun bill we’ve ever seen.”

In his breakdown of the proposal, Kirk explains that Illinois lawmakers aren’t just creating a licensing requirement – they’re constructing what amounts to a financial punishment system. The state could demand manufacturers bankroll the entire cost of gun violence, regardless of who actually committed the crimes.

“The state of Illinois still believes the cause of their gun violence problem is the mere existence of guns,” Kirk said. “It has nothing to do with the individuals engaged in criminal activity.”

Under the RIFL Act, any manufacturer that refuses to comply could face civil penalties of up to $1 million per month. Retailers who sell firearms from an unlicensed manufacturer could be fined up to $10,000 per sale.

In practical terms, this would make it financially impossible for any gun company—large or small – to continue operations in Illinois.

Over 20 Lawmakers Join the Effort

Originally introduced by Representative Kevin John Olickal, the bill now has over 20 co-sponsors, including several well-known progressive legislators such as Theresa Mah, Maura Hirschauer, Kelly Cassidy, and Will Guzzardi.

According to the Illinois General Assembly’s legislative record, at least 23 representatives have signed on to HB3320 since its introduction in February 2025.

Kirk said that level of support means the measure is no longer symbolic – it’s a serious legislative threat that could advance quickly when lawmakers return to session. “You have 23 legislators who have jumped on this bandwagon,” he said. “This bill is starting to gain real momentum.”

Licensing Tied to “Public Health Costs”

The HB3320 summary lays out a complex structure for how the state would collect and spend the licensing fees.

All proceeds would be deposited into a new RIFL Fund, which would be administered by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. The department would then use that money to create a financial assistance program for victims of firearm injuries and other “public safety purposes.”

While that might sound noble on paper, the details reveal a deeper problem. The bill authorizes the state to decide how much each manufacturer owes based on its perceived role in the state’s overall gun violence. There’s no clear formula, no cap, and no transparency requirement.

In other words, Illinois could arbitrarily assign massive fees to any gun company it chooses – and justify it as “public health funding.”

A $866 Million “Gun Violence Tab”

Kirk noted that during early committee discussions, supporters floated a figure of $866 million as the total amount Illinois expects to collect from gun manufacturers in the first year alone.

“That number wasn’t calculated – it was pulled out of thin air,” he said. “They just picked it because it sounded big.”

That projected sum, Kirk explained, reflects Illinois’ long-standing approach to firearms policy: rather than targeting criminals, the state blames the industry itself.

He called the proposal “government-sanctioned extortion,” pointing out that the bill effectively forces companies to pay for a social problem that the state has failed to solve through policing or community programs.

The Retailer Trap

The RIFL Act doesn’t just target gun manufacturers – it also threatens retailers.

Under the proposed law, any gun store that sells a product from an unlicensed manufacturer could face up to $10,000 per violation. That means a single sale could bankrupt a small gun shop overnight.

Retailers would be responsible for verifying that every manufacturer they work with holds a valid Illinois license. If the manufacturer later falls out of compliance, the retailer would still face the penalty.

For many gun shops, especially family-owned stores, this would make it far too risky to stay in business.

The Bigger Picture: Extending “Civilian Disarmament”

Kirk framed HB3320 as part of a larger national trend where anti-gun states are shifting focus from restricting ownership to choking off supply.

“This is civilian disarmament through regulation,” he said. “If you can’t legally buy or sell a gun because the manufacturer can’t afford to do business here, the Second Amendment means nothing.”

He also pointed out that Illinois isn’t alone. States like California, New York, and Washington have floated similar “gun industry accountability” measures – tying firearm sales or manufacturing rights to alleged public safety costs.

Illinois, he said, is simply taking that concept to the extreme.

What Happens Next

HB3320 has already been re-referred to the Rules Committee under House Rule 19(a). That typically means the bill isn’t advancing at the moment, but it could easily be revived when the legislature reconvenes.

The next session begins January 14, 2026, giving opponents less than a year to prepare. Kirk warned Illinois residents not to assume the bill is dead just because it’s sitting in committee. “These things have a way of coming back when nobody’s paying attention,” he said.

If passed, the bill’s full enforcement would take effect on January 1, 2028, giving manufacturers about two years to either comply or leave the state entirely.

While the bill doesn’t explicitly ban gun ownership, its structure could make firearms virtually unavailable in Illinois. Without licensed manufacturers and without retailers willing to take the risk, consumers would be cut off.

It’s also likely that HB3320 would face immediate constitutional challenges.

The Supreme Court’s Bruen decision made clear that gun regulations must align with historical tradition. There’s no precedent for charging manufacturers billions of dollars as punishment for crimes committed by others.

Critics say the measure violates not only the Second Amendment, but also the Commerce Clause and Due Process Clause by punishing companies without individualized evidence of wrongdoing.

A Backdoor Ban

While proponents frame HB3320 as a “responsibility” bill, the structure reveals its true goal—to make doing business in firearms manufacturing impossible.

You don’t need to outlaw guns if you can simply bankrupt the people who make them.

This is the same tactic used in tobacco and fossil fuel regulation – using financial pressure and liability threats to achieve what outright bans can’t. But unlike those industries, firearms are constitutionally protected.

If Illinois enacts this measure, the state won’t just lose its remaining manufacturers – it will invite a flood of lawsuits that taxpayers will end up footing the bill for.

The RIFL Act represents one of the most sweeping and punitive anti-industry bills ever proposed in the United States. It sets up a pay-to-operate system that would let bureaucrats decide which companies get to exist – and how much they must pay for the privilege.

William Kirk’s warning should resonate far beyond Illinois. “This is the most evil gun bill we’ve ever seen,” he said, not because it bans firearms outright, but because it does something far more cunning – it strangles the industry from within.

If it passes, Illinois won’t just lose its gun manufacturers. It will lose its credibility as a state that claims to support both public safety and constitutional rights.

And for gun owners across America, HB3320 might be the canary in the coal mine – a signal of how far state governments are willing to go to regulate the Second Amendment out of existence.

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