Gun owners in Illinois will be required to report missing firearms under a new law signed by Gov. Pat Quinn.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Quinn said the law will make it easier to recover stolen weapons and help ensure that only responsible people buy firearms. The legislation includes a mandatory background check by gun owners of potential buyers of firearms.

The measure passed both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly.

"It's going to help our law enforcement," said Quinn, a Democrat. "It's going to help all of us be safe."

Quinn signed the legislation last Sunday at a South Side Park near when an off-duty Chicago police officer was killed with an illegal firearm in 2010, the paper reported.

Beginning immediately, gun owners whose weapons are lost or stolen will have 72 hours to notify police. And, according to the Tribune, beginning Jan. 1 individual gun owners will have to contact the state police before selling a firearm or prior to a transfer of ownership to ensure that the buyer is permitted to own a gun.

Click for the story from the Chicago Tribune.