The Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988 makes it illegal to manufacture, import, sell, ship, deliver, possess, transfer or receive any firearm that is not detectable by walk-through metal detectors or airport x-ray machines. At the time this law was passed, concern was over the damage hijackers could do should they smuggle a ceramic weapon onboard an aircraft. However, with the advent of 3-dimensional, or “3D,” printing technology, nearly undetectable plastic weapons can be constructed at home. The absence of a serial number or sales record makes these home-made firearms virtually untraceable. Although not yet reliable, these guns could still pose a danger to air travel. 3D printing, involves the programming of a 3D printing machine with a computer file that provides the schematics for the item to be printed. Advocates say that 3D printing has the potential to render gun laws obsolete, not to mention gun manufacturers.

Proposed Legislation: Reintroduction of S.1819 - 3D Printed Gun Safety Act of 2023
Prospective Sponsor: Sen. Edward Markey (MA)

• I oppose reforming current undetectable firearms policy and wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Leader John Thune (SD).
• I support making it unlawful for any person to intentionally distribute online digital instructions in the form of Computer Aided Design files or other code that can automatically program a 3-dimensional printer or similar device to produce a firearm - or to complete a firearm from an unfinished frame or receiver, and wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Sen. Edward Markey (MA) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.