Trio of Bills to Prevent Gun Violence Pass Committee

DENVER, CO – Today, the Senate State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee passed three bills to prevent gun violence and save lives. 

HB26-1265, sponsored by Senators Katie Wallace, D-Longmont, and William Lindstedt, D-Broomfield, would require each law enforcement agency in Colorado to register with eTrace and opt in to eTrace’s feature that allows for collaboration.

“We owe it to everyone affected by gun violence in Colorado to do all we can to prevent future tragedies,” Wallace said. “This legislation would ensure that state law enforcement agencies have every tool at their disposal to track trafficked guns and help stem the ensuing tide of gun violence.”

“Collaboration between law enforcement agencies allows for the quickest possible response and investigation after an incident involving firearms,” Lindstedt said. “Colorado Democrats are committed to making our communities safer. HB26-1265 is a critical piece of that commitment.”

Law enforcement agencies would be required to record information into eTrace when they:

• Recover or confiscate firearms in connection with a criminal investigation,

• Seize or forfeit firearms in connection with domestic violence crimes, and

• Obtain an abandoned or discarded firearm.

eTrace is a bilingual service that allows for collaboration among all participating law enforcement agencies. Law enforcement can submit trace requests through eTrace to quickly determine the firearm’s origin, helping identify potential firearms traffickers and suspects in criminal investigations. Nearly 640,000 firearm trace requests were completed in fiscal year 2024.

Last year, the Trump Administration revoked a policy that prevented gun dealers from selling guns to criminals. Trump also proposed a $400 million cut to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, leaving more pressure on states to address firearm trafficking.

HB26-1126, sponsored by Senator Cathy Kipp, D-Fort Collins, would strengthen existing Colorado law to better prevent gun theft and illegal gun sales. 

“Regulatory updates happen when we stand up a department of qualified individuals, send them to work, and listen to what they have to say – and these bills do exactly that,” Kipp said. “I’m proud to sponsor these two bills to optimize the use of our resources, shore up protections against firearm theft, and ultimately stop preventable acts of gun violence before they occur.”

Colorado law currently requires firearm dealers to hold a state permit to sell firearms and firearm components. HB26-1126 would also require an individual to hold a state permit to transfer firearms. Currently, firearm dealers are only required to keep a record of the sales, rentals or exchanges of pistols and revolvers. The bill strengthens record-keeping requirements by requiring firearm transactions to be recorded and requiring that these records be maintained electronically.

HB26-1126 would prevent firearm theft by requiring firearm dealers to secure large-capacity magazines behind a counter in a locked case or in a locked room that is not accessible to the public, except when showing these products to a customer who is eligible to purchase them or during a repair. Within 72 hours of learning of a loss or theft of a firearm, firearm dealers would be required to report it.

To help ensure compliance, this bill would impose fines for violations of the law before revoking a firearm dealer’s permit. Beginning January 1, 2027, a second or subsequent offense could result in a fine of up to $75,000.

Studies show that policies regulating firearm dealer licensing can lead to significant reductions in gun violence, including gun homicides and suicides. After Connecticut passed a similar law, its firearm homicide rate fell by 28 percent and firearm suicide rate decreased by 33 percent.

Additionally, the committee passed HB26-1302, also sponsored by Kipp, to allow the Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) InstaCheck unit to set business hours that best suit business needs. Under current law, Instacheck must stay open for at least 12 hours daily, except on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Under the bill, CBI must consistently review certain statistics and data to determine appropriate hours of operation. 

All three bills now move to the Senate floor for further consideration.