President Joe Biden will sign an executive order Thursday aimed at restricting new firearm technology that makes existing weapons more dangerous and helping students address the trauma caused by active shooter drills at schools.
White House officials said the executive order will target machine gun conversion devices that turn regular firearms into machine guns that fire fully automatic, plus 3D-printed guns that do not have the typical serial numbers.
“They’re cheap, small and easy to make,” said Stef Feldman, director for the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. “Some 3D printed firearms can be made to be undetectable by magnetometers used to secure airports, courthouses and event spaces.”
Biden will also call on a new task force to issue a report in 90 days on federal capacity to detect and seize the devices, as well as plans to combat the threats.
As the nation grapples with gun violence, here’s what you need to know about the president’s order.
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Shooter drills can be traumatic
White House officials say Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have heard from parents and educators about the potential trauma caused by a new barrage of active-shooter trainings in schools.
“There’s very limited research on how to design and deploy these drills to maximize their effectiveness and minimize collateral harms they might cause,” Feldman said.
In the past, some drills in states have included students in live-fire simulations, which can include pellet guns and fake blood to mimic a shooting.
Sandy Hook Promise, a gun violence prevention group, is urging states to split training between lockdowns and live simulations. Schools can use lockdowns differently, but they are usually designed to help students prepare for a wider range of threats or unauthorized people on campuses.
The organization pointed to Minnesota, which recently passed a law signed by Gov. Tim Walz last year to ban mandatory student participation in active shooter drills. It’s based on similar laws in Washington state and New Jersey that ban “sensorial components, activities, or elements which mimic a real life shooting.”
Biden’s executive order directs a bevy of federal agencies, including the Departments of Education, Homeland Security and Surgeon General to prepare a report in 110 days about how to implement drills and when.
What are machine gun conversion devices?
Earlier this month, the Department of Justice announced a crackdown on the cheap plastic or metal devices that modify guns for rapid fire.
The machinegun conversion devices, sometimes called MCDs, “Glock switches” or “chips,” may resemble a bottle opener or Lego. They are technically machine guns themselves and illegal to possess.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Director Steve Dettelbach said the 3D printing industry could do more to stem the illegal misuse of their products to make guns and conversion devices. On Thursday, Biden’s executive order will expand the Justice Department effort to include U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Department of Commerce and Department of State, which could address the import and monetization of these devices.
A mass shooting over the weekend in Birmingham, Alabama, saw some firearms equipped with the devices. Police there recovered more than 100 shell casings at the scene where four people were killed and another 17 were injured.
What are ghost guns?
Ghost gun kits allow people to purchase parts that can be built into a weapon without the usual regulations that come with an assembled gun.
Biden in 2022 required companies selling the do-it-yourself kits to adhere to the same rules as other gunmakers, such as keeping records that help police trace the weapons.
Now, the Supreme Court will decide whether those rules are constitutional in a case to be argued before the court next month.
Nearly 14,000 suspected ghost guns were recovered by law enforcement and reported to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in just five months last year, according to the Justice Department.
What is an executive order?
An executive order is a tool for presidents to manage the executive branch and set policy. As Congress has become deadlocked in recent years, presidents have increasingly turned to executive actions as a substitute for legislation.
The American Presidency Project at the University of California Santa Barbara has tracked executive orders of all presidents. In the modern era:
- Bill Clinton: 364 total (2 terms)
- George W. Bush: 291 total (2 terms)
- Barack Obama: 276 (2 terms)
- Donald Trump: 220 (1 term)
- Joe Biden: 142 (1 term)
Executive orders can be rescinded or amended by an act of Congress, a court order or another executive order — although former President Donald Trump used a presidential memorandum to amend his second travel ban order in September 2017, during his term in the White House.
Nick Penzenstadler is a reporter on the USA TODAY investigations team. Contact him at npenz@usatoday.com or @npenzenstadler, or on Signal at (720) 507-5273.
