SCHUMER REVEALS: KEY FED PROVISION THAT BANS UNDETECTABLE GHOST GUNS IS SET TO EXPIRE IN JUST ONE MONTH; IN ALBANY, SENATOR LAUNCHES PUSH TO KEEP FULLY PLASTIC UNDETECTABLE FIREARMS OFF OUR STREETS TO KEEP CAPITAL REGION AND COMMUNITIES ACROSS AMERICA SAFE
Bipartisan Undetectable Firearms Act – For The First Time In A Decade Could Expire In One Month – Threatening Safety Of Sporting Events, Concerts, Airports, And More By Making Fully-Plastic Guns — That Could Slip Through Metal Detectors —Legal
Schumer: Keeping Fully-Plastic Undetectable Ghost Guns Illegal Is Commonsense, And Congress Must Act Now To Keep These Deadly Weapons Off Our Streets
Standing with Albany police officers, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer today revealed that, for the first time in a decade, the key federal provision that makes fully-plastic undetectable ghost guns illegal is set to expire next month.
Schumer is now launching his push to reauthorize the bipartisan Undetectable Firearms Act to ensure undetectable, fully-plastic guns remain illegal and stop a potential influx of these weapons on the streets of New York. Schumer said that allowing this law to lapse would create a terrifying new reality of legally-made plastic firearms that could slip through metal detectors and other security, putting law enforcement and communities across America at risk.
“It’s commonsense that a fully-plastic undetectable ‘ghost’ gun that can slip through a metal detector, with no one the wiser, should be illegal. Now however, for the first time in a decade, the bipartisan Undetectable Firearms Act that helps keep these undetectable ghost guns out of the market could expire in just one month. The thought of these weapons, which put the safety of our law enforcement officers and communities across America at risk, becoming legal has everyone nervous — including our local law enforcement here in the Capital Region who could see a surge of these undetectable guns if they are made legal, which would increase security risks at places like sports events and concert venues. This is a scary future to imagine – We already saw that TSA found with metal detectors nearly 7,000 firearms at airports last year – an all-time high.” said Senator Schumer. “That is why I am launching our push to extend this commonsense bipartisan measure to keep these undetectable, dangerous ghost guns illegal.”
Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said, “The dedicated members of the Albany Police Department work around the clock to take illegal guns off our streets, but if Congress doesn’t extend the ban on undetectable ghost guns, our officers’ jobs will become much more difficult. I commend our Senate Majority Leader and New York’s own, Chuck Schumer, for making it clear that we must do everything we can to keep our communities safe.”
Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins said, “Firearms-related violence has caused devastating pain and trauma across the country over the last several years. An influx of plastic, undetectable firearms into our communities will senselessly exacerbate the issue. I commend Senator Schumer for his efforts to extend the federal legislation outlawing these types of weapons.”
Schumer explained since 1988, the Undetectable Firearms Act has prohibited guns that don’t set off metal detectors or x-ray scanners, including those printed by a 3-D printer, by mandating that every gun include approximately 4 ounces of metal, a small but critical provision ensuring these guns set off walk-through metal detectors and wands like those found at airports, federal courthouses, government buildings, sporting events, and concerts. Schumer explained this key legislation, along with Albany’s dedicated police department and local leaders, have kept these deadly weapons illegal for over 35 years, but if Congress does not act soon, in just over one month, on March 8th, the legislation will expire and having an undetectable firearm will no longer be federally criminalized.
Schumer said the possibility of this key legislation expiring for the first time in over 35 years has created cause for serious concern. Law enforcement and police, TSA, public venues, and sports leagues have all voiced their concerns about what might happen if Congress doesn’t reauthorize the Undetectable Firearms Act. Watching a football game in a stadium, flying home to visit family, attending a concert—things that Americans do every day will become much more dangerous as law enforcement would be forced to take months or even years to develop new ways to detect these nearly impossible to identity guns. Schumer said this would be a huge problem, and scary reality, for the Capital Region community, where it would be legal to carry a fully plastic gun into a movie theater, Albany’s MVP arena, or the Albany International Airport.
Schumer explained without an extension of the Undetectable Firearms Act, production and manufacturing of these dangerous ‘ghost guns’ would also likely ramp up, meaning more of these weapons would be available for purchase and people would have easier access to obtain them, leading to higher numbers of undetectable firearms in communities, which would pose a serious public safety threat to the Capital Region.
Schumer said extending this legislation should be a no-brainer, but a small group of hard-right House Republicans are currently going all out to try to help make these undetectable ‘ghost guns’ legal for the first time. The Senate passed a permanent reauthorization of the Undetectable Firearms Act on a strong bipartisan basis (86 – 11) back in July 2023 as part of the annual defense authorization bill. However, the House did not include that provision in the defense bill’s final passage. The Senator said he is going all out to help renew this vital provision which has widespread support, on both sides of the aisle, and said renewing the Act is the best way to prevent undetectable firearms from getting into the everyday areas of communities.
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