This legislation proposes to amend chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, by prohibiting the online distribution of digital instructions for 3D-printed firearms. It would make it unlawful for any person to intentionally distribute, over the internet or World Wide Web, Computer Aided Design (CAD) files or other code that can automatically program a 3D printer to produce a firearm or complete a firearm from an unfinished frame or receiver. This measure is designed to prevent the creation of untraceable firearms by unlicensed individuals using 3D printing technology. Congress finds that these 3D-printed firearms, often made of plastic, can evade detection by metal detectors, increasing safety risks in public areas. The absence of serial numbers on such firearms also impedes law enforcement's ability to trace them, thereby undermining the federal firearms regulatory scheme. The bill aims to reduce the risk of dangerous individuals, including those prohibited from possessing firearms, from obtaining these difficult-to-detect and untraceable weapons.
This legislation proposes to amend chapter 44 of title 18, United States Code, by prohibiting the online distribution of digital instructions for 3D-printed firearms. It would make it unlawful for any person to intentionally distribute, over the internet or World Wide Web, Computer Aided Design (CAD) files or other code that can automatically program a 3D printer to produce a firearm or complete a firearm from an unfinished frame or receiver. This measure is designed to prevent the creation of untraceable firearms by unlicensed individuals using 3D printing technology. Congress finds that these 3D-printed firearms, often made of plastic, can evade detection by metal detectors, increasing safety risks in public areas. The absence of serial numbers on such firearms also impedes law enforcement's ability to trace them, thereby undermining the federal firearms regulatory scheme. The bill aims to reduce the risk of dangerous individuals, including those prohibited from possessing firearms, from obtaining these difficult-to-detect and untraceable weapons.