2024 Colorado and Federal Firearm Bills
Last Updated: May 9, 2024
Colorado Gun Violence Reform Proposals Signed into Law
- SB24-066 Firearms Merchant Category Code – Strongly Support; Status: Passed Senate 3rd reading 2/21 with vote of 22-11. Passed House 3rd reading on 4/8 with 38-21 vote. Governor signed into law 5/1. (Sen. Tom Sullivan and Reps. Meg Froelich and Javier Mabrey). Would require that a merchant category code be established for Colorado firearms retailers, where it is their primary source of revenue. Algorithms could filter through billions of transactions to identify gun traffickers and persons amassing arsenals and perhaps planning mass shootings.
Colorado Gun Violence Reform Proposals Passed by General Assembly
- SB24-003 CBI Authority to Investigate Firearm Crimes – Strongly Support; Status: Passed Senate 3rd reading 3/15 on a 21-10 party-line vote. Passed 3rd Reading in House on 4/29 by a vote of 35-26. On to Governor. (Sen. Tom Sullivan, Reps. Meg Froelich and Monica Duran). Would grant CBI authority to initiate investigations into illegal firearm activities, including “lie and try” and illegal activities of gun dealers. Tip line for gun dealers and citizens.
- SB24-131 Sensitive Spaces – Strongly Support; Status: Passed Senate 3rd reading 4/3 by a 24-14 vote. Passed 3rd reading in House on 4/29 by a vote of 43-21. On to Governor. (Sens. Sonya Jaquez Lewis and Chris Kolker, Reps. Kyle Brown, and Mandy Lindsay). Would designate places where persons may not carry concealed or openly carried firearms. The list was trimmed in an amendment to include only the Colorado General Assembly, meeting rooms and offices of local governmental bodies (who may exclude their premises), courts, schools from preschools to universities, voting sites and ballot processing locations.
- HB24-1122 Protection Orders Domestic Violence – Support; Status: Passed House 3rd reading on a 55-4 vote. Passed Senate 3rd reading 3/22 on a 32-0 vote. On to the Governor. (Reps. Monica Duran and Rose Pugliese, Sens. Dylan Roberts and Faith Winters). Addresses court processes for temporary domestic violence protection orders and includes firearm relinquishment.
- HB24-1174 Standardization of CCW Training Classes – Strongly Support ; Status: Passed House 3rd reading 3/11 on 43-16 party-line vote. Passed Senate 3rd reading on 4/22 by a 20-14 vote. On to the Governor. (Reps. Monica Duran and Marc Snyder, Sen. Kyle Mullica). Establishes minimum standards for CCW classes including safe firearm handling, live fire exercise, education on gun laws and conflict resolution.
- HB24-1348 Secure Firearm Storage in a Vehicle – Strongly Support; Status: Passed House 3rd reading 3/25 on a 41-22 vote. Passed Senate 3rd reading on 4/22 by a 21-13 vote. On to Governor (Reps. Elizabeth Velasco and Lorena Garcia, Sens. Sonya Jaquez Lewis and Rhonda Fields) Would require firearms left unattended in vehicles be locked inside the vehicle inside a locked case and not be visible from outside the vehicle.
- HB24-1349 Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax – Strongly Support; Status: Passed House Finance 4/1 on 6-5 vote. Passed House 3rd reading on 4/20 by a 44-18 vote. Passed Senate 3rd reading on 5/8 by a 18-15 vote. (Reps. Monica Duran and Meg Froelich, Sens. Chris Hansen and Janet Buckner) Would send to the voters a request for an excise tax on firearms and ammunition. Generated funds would first be primarily to Victims Assistance programs and then to mental health services for at-risk youth and veterans, and then to school security.
- HB24-1353 Firearms Dealer Requirements and Permits– Strongly Support; Status: Passed House 3rd reading on 4/20 by a 40-21 vote. Passed Senate 3re reading senate on 5/7 by a 21-14 vote. (Reps. Emily Sirota and Andrew Boesenecker, Sens. Jeff Bridges and Dafna Michaelson Jenet) Would require every firearms dealer in the state to obtain a state-issued permit. The Department of Revenue would oversee the permit system and inspect dealers to see that they are complying with local, state and federal law and that all employees pass background checks and take required annual training. Dealing in firearms without a permit can result in a maximum $250,000 fine.
Colorado Gun Reform Proposals Defeated – PI means postponed indefinitely, which means the bill was defeated.
- SB24-057 Agricultural Workforce and Suicide Prevention – Support; Status: Passed by Senate Health and Human Services 2/7 on 5-3 party-line vote. On to Senate Appropriations. Clock ran out. (Sen. Tom Sullivan, Reps. Meg Froelich and Judy Amabile). Creates mental health and suicide prevention program in Department of Agriculture, which will conduct an awareness campaign and collect data, among other responsibilities.
- SB24-107 POWPO additional crimes –Support; Status: Passed Senate Judiciary 2/28 on a 4-1 vote. Passed Senate Appropriations 5/3 on a 7-2 vote. PI’ed until after end of session. (Sen. Bob Gardner and Rep. Gabe Evans). Would add motor vehicle theft and drug distribution to POWPO-eligible crimes. (POWPO=Possession of Weapon by Previous Offender)
- SB24-158 Social Media Protect Juveniles Disclosures Report – Support; Status: Passed Senate Business, Labor and Technology 3/28 on a 7-0 vote. Passed Senate 3rd reading on 4/17 by 30-1 vote. PI’ed in House Education 5/1. (Sens. Chris Hansen and Dafna Michaelson Jenet, Rep. Meghan Lukens). Establishes requirements for the operation of social media platforms and authorizes the Attorney General to enforce.
- HB24-1015 Workplace Suicide Prevention Education – monitor; Status: Passed House Business Affairs 1/31 on 11-0 vote. On to House Appropriations. Clock ran out. (Rep. Stephanie Vigil and Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet). Requires department of Labor to produce suicide prevention education posters and notices. Employers will be required to post these and provide information to employees.
- HB24-1066 Preventing Workplace Violence in Health Care Settings – monitor; Status: Passed Health and Human Services 2/27 on 12-1 vote. On to House Appropriations. Clock ran out. (Rep. Eliza Hamrick and Lorena Garcia, Sens. Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Julie Gonzales). Requires health care facilities to establish a workplace violence prevention committee to document violence incidents, develop a prevention plan, provide training, submit reports to the behavioral health administration and offer post-incident services to staff.
- HB24-1123 Funding for School Safety Firearm Detection – Neutral; Status: Passed House Education on a 9-1 vote. On to House Appropriations. Clock ran out. (Rep. Brandi Bradly and Sen. Kevin Van Winkle) Establishes a fund for schools to purchase such systems.
- HB24-1162 Penalty of Theft of Firearms – Support; Status: PI’ed in House Judiciary 2/14 on 5-6 vote. (Reps. Ryan Armagost and Marc Snyder). Makes theft of a firearm a Class 6 felony. Second Offense is Class 5 felony. Was amended to be a Class 2 misdemeanor. Still failed.
- HB24-1270 Firearms Liability Insurance – Support; Status: Passed House 3rd reading on 4/20 by a 33-29 vote. Clock Ran Out. (Reps. Steven Woodrow and Iman Jodeh, Sen. Chris Hansen) Requires gun owners to obtain liability insurance and for insurance companies to offer such policies. Has provisions for indigent and those denied.
- HB24-1292 Prohibit Certain Weapons used in Mass Shootings – Support; Status: Passed House 3rd reading on 35-27 vote on 4/14. Assigned to Senate State, Veterans, and Military Affairs. (Reps. Tim Hernández and Elisabeth Epps and Sen. Julie Gonzales) Prohibits the manufacture, purchase, sale or transfer of an assault weapon. Prohibits possession of a rapid-fire trigger activator.
- HB24-1292 Prohibit Certain Weapons used in Mass Shootings – Support; Status: Passed House 3rd reading on 35-27 vote on 4/14. PI’ed in Senate State, Veterans, and Military Affairs on 5/7 at request of sponsor. (Reps. Tim Hernández and Elisabeth Epps, Sen. Julie Gonzales) Prohibits the manufacture, purchase, sale or transfer of an assault weapon. Prohibits possession of a rapid-fire trigger activator.
- HB24-1310 School Safey Measures – Support; Status: Postponed Indefinitely (defeated) on 4/11. (Reps. Jennifer Parenti and Eliza Hamrick) Would define “school safety officer,” establish requirements for the position, including rigorous training. Would prohibit educators from being school safety officers and would require guns stored in schools be locked in a gun safe in a locked room or closet only accessible by law enforcement.
Federal Bills of Concern – There are over 230 bills dealing with firearms, these are ones of interest or concern:
- H.R. 38 and S. 214 Federally Mandated Concealed Carry (CCW) Reciprocity – Strongly oppose; Status: Introduced. House bill has 165 cosponsors, including Lamborn. Senate bill has 44 cosponsors, none from Colorado. Would mandate that every state honor CCW permits from other states and also people from permitless states. House bill would allow someone denied a permit in Colorado to get one in a state that does not require residency, would allow individuals to take their guns into K-12 schools, and to sue law officers or political subdivision if they are arrested or detained.
- H.R. 151 and HR 646 and S. 163 Remove short-barreled shotguns from National Firearms Act of 1934 – Strongly oppose Status: HR151 has 37 cosponsors, including Boebert, and HR646 has 47 cosponsors, including Boebert. Senate bill has 21 cosponsors, none from Colorado.
- H.R. 152 Hearing Protection Act and S. 401 – Strongly oppose; Status: House bill has 69 cosponsors, including Boebert. Senate had 28 cosponsors, none from Colorado. Removes silencers from the National Firearms Act of 1934.
- H.R. 625 Regulate Large Capacity Magazines – Strongly Support; Status: Diana DeGette is prime sponsor, has 162 cosponsors, including Crow, Pettersen, Neguse and Caraveo
- H.R. 660 and S. 173 Safe Storage (Ethan’s Law) – Strongly Support; Status: House bill has 206 cosponsors, including Caraveo, Crow, DeGette, Neguse and Pettersen. Senate bill has 41 cosponsors, including Bennet and Hickenlooper.
- H.R. 698 and S. 25 and S. 3369 (GOSAFE) Assault Weapons Ban – Strongly Support; Status: House bill has 206 cosponsors, including Crow, DeGette, Neguse, Pettersen and Caraveo. Senate bill S. 25 has 45 cosponsors, including Bennet and Hickenlooper. S. 3369 (GOSAFE) has 11 cosponsors, including Bennet.
- H.R. 715 and S. 494 Universal Background Checks – Strongly Support; Status: House bill has 206 cosponsors including Caraveo, Crow, DeGette, Neguse and Pettersen. Senate has 48 cosponsors, including Bennet and Hickenlooper.
- H.R. 7450 Prohibit Firearm Merchant Category Code – Strongly oppose; Status: Has 34 cosponsors, none from Colorado.
Other Firearms-related bills sponsored by Coloradans in Congress
- S. 1285 School Shooting Safety Preparedness – Michael Bennet (0 cosponsors)
- H.R. 1830 Prohibit Out-of-State Gun Transfers – Jason Crow (6 cosponsors)
- H.R. 2753 Firearm Retailer Code of Conduct – Jason Crow (16 cosponsors)
- H.R. 2897 End Gun Violence Act – Joe Neguse (21 cosponsors)
- H.R. 2898 Secure Background Checks Act – Joe Neguse (17 cosponsors)
- H.R. 2899 Grants moneys against mass violence – Joe Neguse (18 cosponsors)
- H.R. 3212 Repeal every gun control law from 117th congress – Lauren Boebert (23 cosponsors)
- H.R. 3872 Study lockdown mental health effects – Brittany Pettersen (5 cosponsors)
- H.R. 4384 Reauthorize funds for safe neighborhoods – Joe Neguse (16 cosponsors)
