The Case for Banning Ghost Guns in New York State
Despite the federal government’s blustery rhetoric, the Trump Administration is making it easier, not harder, for bad actors to access illegal firearms in New York and across the country. That’s why I am once again fighting to pass my legislation banning the manufacture of 3D guns in New York State this session.
Here are the facts: Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans’ HR 1 made it cheaper for Americans to buy silencers; the Trump Administration repealed a rule requiring the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to revoke the licenses of gun dealers who violate federal law; and to add insult to injury, the Administration published a rule last year restoring firearm access to domestic violence abusers. Those three actions are just the tip of the federal government’s efforts to reverse decades of hard-fought-and-won progress in reducing the infiltration of firearms in our communities.
Thus, now more than ever, state governments must act as a bulwark against these insidious policies — and that is where my legislation comes into play. My bill, which is supported by an array of gun safety advocates, law enforcement officers and district attorneys, and was even included in Governor Hochul’s budget proposal this year, would make it a Class D felony for New Yorkers to print untraceable firearms. It would also be a crime to share or sell digital blueprints for 3D-printed firearms and its many components, such as a rapid fire modification device or a firearm silencer.
Over the past few years, attorneys general, district attorneys and law enforcement agents have noticed a considerable uptick in the proliferation of 3D guns, a type of ghost gun, in neighborhoods throughout the United States.
Currently, in New York State, people can simply go online to purchase a 3D printer and digital gun blueprints to create the weapon of their choice from the comfort of their own home. Without a serial number and without having to undergo a background check, 3D-printed guns are untraceable, making them the weapon of choice for unsavory actors. Not only are ghost guns cheap to print, but since they are composed of plastic or mixed materials, they are often not found by metal detectors in schools, airports, prisons and other public areas.
Over the past five years according to a report issued by Everytown for Gun Safety, 3D-printed gun recoveries have increased by nearly 1,000% in 20 major cities. That’s why in 2021, I, along with former State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, now Manhattan Borough President, introduced and passed legislation prohibiting the possession of 3D guns. And as a result, both state and New York City police officers have collectively seized more than 2,000 ghost guns from our streets. I also passed legislation last year that would allow courts to consider felony animal cruelty crimes when issuing an Extreme Risk Protect Order. We know, especially in domestic violence cases, that people who abuse animals often turn that violence toward humans. Now, my legislation builds on that collective progress by banning the manufacture of 3D guns altogether.
History has shown us that we cannot wait to act. The Vice President of the United States called school shootings a “fact of life” after two students and two teachers were killed in Georgia in 2024. But we, as a state, are not beholden to that limited line of thinking. With this legislation, we have the power to save lives, prevent crime and further rid our streets of deadly and illegal guns by banning the manufacture of these weapons. I look forward to making that sentiment a reality for millions of New Yorkers this session.
Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal represents New York’s 67th District.
