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DENVER, CO– The House State, Civic, Military & Veterans Affairs Committee today passed a bill to save lives and prevent accidental deaths by promoting responsible gun ownership and the safe storage of firearms when children are present.
“In Colorado, a child is injured with a gun on average once a day, and a child dies at the hands of a firearm once a week,” said Representative Monica Duran (D-Wheat Ridge). “The shocking number of suicides and accidental deaths involving firearms in children and teens demands action. This bill will save lives by promoting the type of responsible behavior that the vast majority of Colorado gun owners like myself already practice. Safe storage saves lives.”
“This bill is about protecting our children,” said Representative Kyle Mullica (D-Northglenn). “As the father of young kids, I’m committed to preventing the type of life-altering tragedies we heard about in testimony today from happening in the first place. Putting a simple and affordable lock on guns present in a home with children is a straightforward solution that will make our kids, teens and communities safer.”
HB21-1106 seeks to promote responsible gun ownership by creating an educational campaign that will encourage gun owners, especially those with children in the home, to properly store their firearms. The bill also requires licensed firearms dealers to provide a locking device at the time of sale or transfer of all firearms. Federal law already requires that handguns sold by licensed dealers be sold with locking devices. Finally, the bill would create the charge “unlawful storage of a firearm” when a firearm is not stored safely and a juvenile or someone who is ineligible to possess a firearm is present, making it a class 2 misdemeanor.