The law, which is considered a coup for the National Rifle Association, provides that state police may issue permits to carry concealed guns to applicants with a Firearm Owner’s Identification card after those applicants have passed a background check and undergone 16 hours of required firearms training.
The law does not, however, allow citizens to carry guns in public places such as in bars, in schools, in hospitals, or on public transportation. Last month, Democratic Governor Pat Quinn made changes to the bill that would have prohibited guns in restaurants that serve alcohol and also would have limited residents to carrying only one firearm at a time, but both chambers voted to override the governor’s veto.