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DENVER, CO – The House State, Civic, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee yesterday passed legislation to expand Colorado’s existing “Red Flag” law to proactively combat gun violence and save lives. The committee also passed a bill to improve collaboration between law enforcement agencies to quickly identify firearms and generate leads for gun-related crimes.
“As Republicans try to repeal Colorado’s life-saving Red Flag law, Colorado Democrats are expanding its impact to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people,” said Rep. Meg Froelich, D-Englewood, sponsor of SB26-004. “Under this bill, educational institutions, in consultation with teachers and co-responders, would now be able to initiate the ERPO process if they believe someone is a risk to themselves or others. This bill would help protect our communities from gun violence.”
“Colorado’s Red Flag law is one of the most effective tools that we have to prevent gun violence, which is why we passed our bill to make it more effective and voted down the House GOP’s effort to completely eliminate it,” said Rep. Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn, sponsor of SB26-004. “Red Flag laws allow certain professionals to file a petition if they believe someone poses a serious threat to our communities. Our bill adds to the list of qualified people who can try to intervene to prevent senseless gun violence and save Colorado lives.”
SB26-004 would expand the list of community members eligible to petition for an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) and create a new category of institutional petitioners. The bill would add co-responders and health care professionals employed by health care facilities to the list of community members who may petition the court for an ERPO. SB26-004 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. SB26-004 passed committee by a vote of 8-3.
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.
The committee also voted down a dangerous bill, sponsored by Representative Scott Slaugh, R-Berthoud. HB26-1072 would have repealed Colorado’s Red Flag law and all subsequent changes to the law, like the addition of an ERPO hotline and expansions of qualified individuals who can file an ERPO.
By September 1, 2026, HB26-1265 would require each law enforcement agency in Colorado to register with eTrace and opt in to eTrace’s feature that allows for collaboration. HB26-1265 passed committee by a vote of 7-3.
"With Trump gutting crucial gun violence prevention tools, Colorado has to step up to keep our communities safe,” said Rep. Manny Rutinel, D-Commerce City, sponsor of HB26-1265. “eTrace helps law enforcement agencies identify the last known owner of a gun to identify gun traffickers, stolen firearms and other dangerous crimes. Collaboration across law enforcement jurisdictions, like eTrace, can save lives.”
“Effective collaboration among law enforcement agencies is essential to solving gun-related crimes and protecting our communities,” said Rep. Chad Clifford, D-Centennial, sponsor of HB26-1265. “This bill expands access to the ATF's eTrace system by requiring all Colorado law enforcement agencies to register, submit data on recovered or confiscated firearms, and share tracing information with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. By doing so, we equip officers with critical tools to trace firearms used in crimes, disrupt illegal trafficking, and enhance public safety across the state.”
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, a bilingual service, 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.
The committee also passed HB26-1126, sponsored by Representatives Emily Sirota and Steven Woodrow, to better enforce Colorado’s permit to sell law. The bill would expand opportunities for firearm dealers to comply with state law without compromising Coloradans’ safety.