New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) announced a new initiative on Wednesday aimed at requiring that new 3D printers come equipped with software to prevent their use in producing firearms.
Her office released a statement that highlighted:
Governor Kathy Hochul has introduced a plan to bolster New York’s gun laws by tackling the issue of 3D-printed firearms and illegal weapons. The proposed law would include criminal penalties for the manufacture of firearms via 3D printing and require the establishment of minimum safety standards to stop producers from creating firearms and their parts.
This initiative would also insist that firearm manufacturers develop handguns that can’t be easily altered into illegal machine guns, and mandate that law enforcement report all instances of recovered 3D-printed guns to the state.
Everytown for Gun Safety, in partnership with Mike Bloomberg, ranks New York as having the fourth strictest gun laws in the nation.
These laws include bans on “assault weapons,” prohibition on “high-capacity” magazines, requirements for concealed carry permits, red flag laws, mandates for safe gun storage, universal background checks for handgun purchases, a ban on bump stocks, regulations concerning “ghost guns,” and microstamping requirements for new handguns.
Despite the existing regulations, on December 4, 2024, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed by a masked shooter outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan.
On July 28, 2025, another tragedy occurred when an attacker armed with an AR-style rifle entered a Manhattan office building, resulting in four deaths and injuries to at least one additional person.
