WASHINGTON D.C., DC — U.S. Senator Tim Kaine joined Senators Edward J. Markey and Bob Menendez to introduce legislation that would prohibit the online distribution of blueprints and instructions that allow for the 3D printing of firearms.
The 3D Printed Gun Safety Act comes after Kaine pushed the Senate and Virginia's General Assembly to pass gun safety legislation in the aftermath of the Virginia Beach Municipal Center shooting.
“Our nation has suffered too many gun violence tragedies. We must not allow 3D printed guns to present an additional danger to our public safety and law enforcement,” said Kaine. “These guns are untraceable and largely undetectable, and Congress must address this threat before lives are lost.”
3D printing allows individuals to make firearms out of plastic. The guns could be able to evade detection by metal detectors at security checkpoints, increasing the risk that a firearm will be used to perpetrate violence on an airplane or other areas where people congregate.
These firearms are also untraceable because they don't have a serial number for law enforcement to reference. If the instructions for 3D printing firearms and firearm parts are available online, people intending to commit gun crimes may create untraceable firearms in order to avoid accountability for these crimes.
The 3D Printed Gun Safety Act will make it illegal to distribute online digital files that can automatically program a 3D printer to produce or complete the manufacture of a firearm.
View the full legislation below: