SAN FRANCISCO—California State Senator Leland Yee announced May 7 that he intends to introduce legislation to prohibit the production of guns with 3D printers.
Yee’s announcement comes just days after a group called Defense Distributed unveiled a gun made of plastic parts produced by a 3D printer. The founder of the group, Cody Wilson, intends to make the manufacturing instructions available online.
“While I am as impressed as anyone with 3-D printing technology and I believe it has amazing possibilities, we must ensure that it is not used for the wrong purpose with potentially deadly consequences,” said Yee in a press release.
“I plan to introduce legislation that will ensure public safety and stop the manufacturing of guns that are invisible to metal detectors and that can be easily made without a background check.”
The new 3D printing technology has also already been used to produce parts for assault weapons such as high-capacity magazines.
“We must be proactive in seeking solutions to this new threat rather than wait for the inevitable tragedies this will make possible,” Yee said.
Yee is also the author of three other gun-control bills. One seeks to prohibit weapons to have a bullet button to easily change magazines, one would require firearms to be stored with a trigger lock or in a gun safe if there is no adult at home, and one intends to make it easier for counties to implement assisted outpatient treatment for potentially violent persons.
