Illinois 2026: PICA Repeal and Assault Weapons Affidavit Bills with Active Deadlines

What the Bills Would Do

The Protect Illinois Communities Act (PICA), signed as Public Act 102-1116 in January 2023, banned the sale and manufacture of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines in Illinois while allowing existing owners to retain possession if they registered by January 1, 2024. Multiple bills in the 104th General Assembly seek to roll back or modify this law:

SB3348 — Assault Weapons Affidavit: Would modify the registration and affidavit requirements for grandfathered assault weapons and large-capacity magazines under PICA. The bill has a committee deadline of March 27, 2026^[1]. Under current law, owners must have submitted an endorsement affidavit to ISP. This bill may address the process for owners who missed the deadline or need to amend their registrations.

HB3242 — Partial Repeal of PA 102-1116: Would repeal specific provisions of PICA while leaving others intact. The bill has accumulated co-sponsors as recently as September 2025^[2].

Note: SB2136 (full PICA partial repeal) is already covered in a separate article on this site. These bills represent additional legislative vehicles pursuing similar goals.

Current Status

SB3348 has the most procedural momentum, with an active committee deadline of March 27, 2026. The full repeal bills (HB1040 and HB3242 in the House, SB2136 in the Senate) continue to accumulate co-sponsors but face the same political reality: the Democrat supermajority that passed PICA remains in place. The Illinois Supreme Court upheld PICA in Caulkins v. Pritzker (2023), and the U.S. Supreme Court has not yet taken a PICA challenge, leaving the law on firm legal footing for now.

What to Watch

The affidavit bill (SB3348) has the best chance of advancing because it addresses a practical compliance issue rather than a wholesale repeal. ISP data shows that compliance with the registration requirement has been well below expectations, and a bill making registration easier or extending deadlines could attract some bipartisan support. The March 27 committee deadline is the key date. Gun owners who registered should monitor any changes to the affidavit process, and those who did not register should watch for any amnesty or extension provisions.