July 30, 2018

Las Vegas, NV – Today Representative Dina Titus of Nevada’s First Congressional District, and a member of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, sent a letter to Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt urging him to use his office to file an immediate injunction halting the publication of blueprints for a 3D printed gun. The blueprints for this untraceable firearm had been prohibited from online publication under the authority of the State Department, but a recent court settlement (Defense Distributed v. United States) could make these plans available online as early as August 1, 2018. Individuals would be able to manufacture these unlicensed firearms at home without a background check and outside the purview of state and federal law enforcement agencies. This is unacceptable and will contribute to gun violence in our communities. The text of the letter is below:

Dear Attorney General Laxalt,

I respectfully urge your office to fight vigorously against the production of home-grown, unregulated, and untraceable 3D-printed firearms enabled by the settlement of Defense Distributed v. United States.
As early as August 1, the State Department will offer special exemption to a company named Defense Distributed for its previously-banned, online publication of 3D-printable firearm blueprints. The text of the settlement suggests that the Department previously had misappropriated its authority under Section 126.2 of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations to “temporarily” remove these blueprints from the United States Munitions List (USML). The document fails to note however, that once the blueprints are online, they can be saved and redistributed by any user in perpetuity. There is no such thing as a temporary publication on the internet. The settlement will enable anyone with a laptop and a 3D printing system to acquire a firearm without assistance from a federally-licensed dealer and the prerequisite criminal background check. For the safety of Nevadans, I urge you to use your authority to file an immediate injunction. 

Such 3D-printed firearms do not trigger metal detectors, lack serial numbers or other identifying marks, and have limited or no records of production, sale, and distribution. Accordingly, it is much more difficult for law enforcement – including our own officers in Nevada – to detect and, in the case of a criminal investigation, link these weapons to their owners after illicit use. If placed in the hands of terrorists, the mentally-ill, lone-wolf killers, or other actors whose possession of any firearm poses a threat to themselves and others, it will be even more difficult to protect our citizens from gun violence. The circulation of these weapons thus poses an urgent threat to our national security and may simultaneously violate International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

I am especially concerned because the issue of 3D-printed firearms already presented itself to Nevadans nearly two years ago. In August 2016, TSA officials at the Reno-Tahoe international airport confiscated a 3D-printed revolver (loaded with five .22-caliber bullets) from a passenger’s carry-on luggage. Fortunately, the firearm was a replica without firing capability, but the incident demonstrated the alarming potential for the production and transport of functioning 3D-printed weapons. As Las Vegas in particular is an important transportation hub and international entertainment zone which attracts millions of patrons each year, the safety and wellbeing of our visitors, both domestic and foreign, must be a priority. 

I therefore implore your office to prevent the production and circulation of these dangerous weapons. 

Thank you for your immediate attention to this important issue. 

Sincerely,

Dina Titus
Member of Congress