policy analysis of the Illinois Firearms Restraining Order Act: a multiple streams approach to Extreme Risk Protection Orders.

• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2047/D20382020

After the Parkland, Florida shooting in 2018, a number of states passed Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) that would temporarily remove firearms from those who are at risk of causing harm to themselves or others. Illinois was one of these states and passed the Firearms Restraining Order Act (FRO) in the spring of 2018. There is limited research on ERPOs and little is known about the process and implementation of current iteration of ERPOs passed after Parkland. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the passage and implementation of the Illinois Firearms Restraining Order Act by conducting a critical policy analysis using John Kingdon's multiple streams theoretical framework. This research consisted of 13 key informant semi-structured interviews of individuals and organizations involved in the passage and implementation of the Illinois Firearms Restraining Order Act (FRO). Results from the study found that although the catalyst for passing the FRO was mass shootings, they are primarily used for suicide prevention and a tool for domestic violence victims. The study also found that stakeholder education and training are important parts to FRO implementation and Second Amendment sanctuary counties are perceived as a threat to FRO implementation. Outcomes of this study will help other states guide their legislation and implementation efforts for their ERPOs--Author's abstract