WASHINGTON — Congress is racing toward renewing a 25-year-old prohibition against firearms that can evade metal detectors and X-ray machines, just days before the ban expires. But with 3-D printers increasingly able to produce plastic weapons, many Democrats, gun control advocates and law enforcement officials say the restrictions must be tightened.

The Republican-led House was expected to approve a 10-year extension of the ban today. Reluctant to oppose renewal and anger allies, Democrats are expected to back it strongly, despite their preference to also require permanent metal components that would make plastic firearms more detectable.

“We can't let a minute or hour or day go by without having a renewal” of the ban, said Brian Malte, a director of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. The group's strong concerns about the availability of plastic guns are “no reason to hold up renewal,” he said.

The Democratic-run Senate returns from a two-week Thanksgiving break next Monday, the day before the ban expires. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he will seek fast approval of a measure renewing the ban and tightening the restrictions.

HONOLULU — A kayak fisherman died Monday after a shark attack off Maui, local officials said.Maui County Ocean Safety officials received a report that a shark attacked a man fishing in a kayak between Maui and Molokini, a small island less than 3 miles off the southwest coast of Maui that's popular for diving and snorkeling.Maui County police identified the man as Patrick Briney, 57, of Stevenson, Wash.The shark bit his dangling foot while he fished with artificial lures to attract baitfish, a news release from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said.His fishing partner in another kayak tied a tourniquet on the man and sought help from a nearby charter tour boat. The boat took them to shore, and the man was then taken to a hospital, the state said.

YONKERS, N.Y. — The revelation that a New York City commuter train derailed while barreling into a sharp curve at nearly three times the speed limit is fueling questions about whether automated crash-avoidance technology could have prevented the carnage.Safety authorities have championed what’s known as positive train control technology for decades, but the railroad industry has sought to postpone having to install it because of the high cost and technological issues.Investigators haven’t yet determined whether the wreck, which killed four people and injured more than 60 others, was the result of human error or mechanical trouble. But some safety experts said the tragedy might not have happened if Metro-North Railroad had the technology, and a senator said the wreck underscored the need for it.“This incident, if anything, heightens the importance of additional safety measures, like that one,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, which also is served by Metro-North. “I’d be very loath to be more flexible or grant more time.”