Blog

Bill to Ban Manufacturing of "Ghost Guns" Passes Washington House. Now on to Senate.

Posted by William Kirk, Partner | Mar 05, 2019 | 0 Comments

The Washington State House of Representatives passed Attorney General Bob Ferguson's legislation to prohibit the manufacturing of untraceable, undetectable 3D printed guns on Monday.

House Bill 1739 would prohibit “a person from knowingly or recklessly allowing, facilitating, aiding, or abetting the manufacture or assembly of an undetectable firearm or untraceable firearm if he or she: (1) Is ineligible to possess a firearm; or (2) Has signed a valid voluntary waiver of firearm rights that has not been revoked.” Click here to read more.

The measure was sponsored by Rep. Javier Valdez and was passed by a bipartisan 57-39 vote. It now heads to the State Senate for consideration.

“I support the Second Amendment. With that said, we cannot allow felons and other dangerous individuals to make an end-run around our state's background check requirements by printing untraceable, undetectable 3D-printed guns,” Ferguson said in a news release. “Guns that can evade metal detectors pose too great a risk to the safety of our communities.”

The measure follows Ferguson's July 2018 lawsuit against the Trump Administration over its decision to allow public access, through the distribution of downloadable files, for 3-D printed guns.

U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik blocked the Trump Administration’s decision to release the downloadable files, saying they could end up in the wrong hands.

“There is a possibility of irreparable harm because of the way these guns can be made,” Lasnik said.

You can follow this bill and all gun legislation this legislative session right here.

About the Author

William Kirk, Partner

Bill Kirk has been named a Super Lawyer by Washington Law and Politics Magazine every year since 2003. He currently serves on the Board of Regents to the National College for DUI Defense and is the President of the Washington Foundation for Criminal Justice. Bill is one of only two attorneys in this state to pass the National College's Board Certification Exam.

Comments

There are no comments for this post. Be the first and Add your Comment below.

Leave a Comment

Bearing arms is your right, protecting your family is your responsibility.

In order to truly protect those you love, you must know all your rights, responsibilities and obligations as a gun owner. We have nearly 20 years dealing with firearms matters and the answer to nearly every question you may have is right here.

Menu