The House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill on Tuesday that was co-authored by House Judiciary Committee Member Rep. Howard Coble (R-N.C.) that would extend the current law that prohibits undetectable guns.
Coble introduced the measure calling for a 10-year extension of the law banning guns that can pass through metal detectors or airport imagining technology undetected with Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.).
“This ban on undetectable weapons has been in effect since 1988, and from all indications, the law is working well,” Coble said. “This law has a sunset clause and has been reauthorized two previous times. If we do not extend this law again, the ban will expire on Dec. 9. I hope the Senate will expedite this bill when it returns to work next week.”
The original law passed by Congress in 1988 makes the manufacture, import, sale, shipment, delivery, possession and transfer of guns that are undetectable by walk-through metal detectors illegal. The law also prohibits guns made from components that do not generate an accurate image when carried through airport imaging technology.
“The fact that (Tuesday’s) reauthorization passed by voice vote proves that there is overwhelming bipartisan support for this law,” Coble said. “While we have heard that some want to amend the bill when it arrives in the Senate, I urge our colleagues on the other side of Capitol Hill to quickly enact a clean 10-year reauthorization so that this ban on undetectable weapons will not expire.”