Senate Approves Bill to Expand and Improve Colorado’s Red Flag Law

SB25-004 would build on past legislation to prevent gun violence and save lives

DENVER, CO – Today, the Senate approved legislation to expand Colorado’s existing “Red Flag” law to proactively de-escalate violent situations and save lives. 

SB26-004, sponsored by Senators Tom Sullivan, D-Centennial, and Julie Gonzales, D-Denver, would expand the list of community members eligible to petition for an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) to include health care and education institutions.

“In Colorado, our ‘Red Flag’ law has already helped prevent gun violence, but we can strengthen it to give more people the opportunity to save lives,” said Sullivan. “Adding health care and education facilities to the list of qualified petitioners for an ERPO helps ensure that trusted community members are able to reach those who are a danger to themselves or others sooner and stop more violence before it occurs.”

“Colorado’s ‘Red Flag’ law exists to prevent gun violence so that families have the freedom to go to school, church, and the grocery store without fear,” said Gonzales. “Strengthening this already highly effective law will allow us to stop preventable acts of gun violence and save more Coloradans' lives.”

SB26-004 would add health care facilities that employ co-responders and health care professionals to the list of community entities that may petition the court for an extreme risk protection order (ERPO). It would also add health care facilities, behavioral health treatment facilities, K-12 schools, and higher education institutions as institutional petitioners that may petition a court for an ERPO.

Passed in 2019, Colorado Democrats’ original ERPO legislation allows qualified individuals to petition a judge to temporarily remove a firearm from a potentially dangerous individual and interrupt gun violence before it has a chance to occur. In 2023, lawmakers passed legislation to expand the list of qualified individuals eligible to petition for an ERPO to include DAs and other law enforcement officials, licensed health care professionals, educators, and mental health professionals.

In 2024, the most recent data available, there were 164 ERPO petitions filed in Colorado.

SB26-004 now moves to the House for further consideration. Track its progress here.