Policy

House Passes Ten Year Extension of Plastic Gun Ban

Passed overwhelmingly, though Democrats wanted it extended to 3D-printed guns

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The U.S. House approved Tuesday a 10-year extension of an existing federal law banning guns that can go undetected by metal detectors and X-ray machines.

The measure passed on an overwhelming bipartisan vote despite reservations from Democrats who would like to expand the scope of the law to address concerns about 3-D printing technology, which can produce solid objects out of digital models – including firearms – and did not exist commercially when the law was first enacted. Without significant opposition, the House did not record members' votes on the bill.