New Jersey lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to approve a bill that bans the manufacturing of 3D-printed firearms, introducing new penalties for violators in the process.
The vote makes the deep blue stat the latest to respond to the new technology, which gun control proponents say make it easier for criminals to manufacture covert weapons. The bill was approved by a 68-5-3 vote in the Assembly, and a 31-0 vote in the state Senate. New Jersey’s Democratic Governor Phil Murphy is expected to sign it into law without hesitation.
Lawmakers who supported the bill are calling the vote a victory for law enforcement and public safety.
“Instead of making it harder for criminals to obtain weapons, new technology and mail-order kits are only making it easier for criminals to manufacture firearms at home,” Assembly Democrat Paul Moriarty told local media. “Our only recourse is to arm our court system with additional penalties for those who choose to skirt the law, avoid licensure and manufacture these types of firearms to keep or even to sell. We’re saying no to ghost guns, and no to 3-D firearms. Not in New Jersey.”
The bill criminalizes both the manufacturing and possession of a “covert” firearm — that is, a weapon without a serial number. It also penalizes modifying a weapon to look like anything that isn’t a weapon.
“This bill sends the appropriate message: New Jersey will not stand for it,” Assembly Democrat Annette Quijano added. “If a person manufactures or possesses a ghost gun, or 3-D printed weapon or even buys the parts to make them, there will be additional penalties if convicted.”
Individuals who violate the new law could face up to five years in prison and a $15,000 fine.
~ Firearm Daily
