New Gun Violence Prevention Laws Go Into Effect
DENVER, CO – On August 7, legislation will go into effect to combat gun violence by improving concealed carry permit training, boosting the Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s ability to address illegal firearm activities, and making it easier to recognize dangerous firearm purchasing patterns.
HB24-1174, sponsored by House Majority Leader Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge, Representative Marc Snyder, D-Manitou Springs, and Senator Kyle Mullica, D-Thornton, requires handgun training classes to include at least eight hours of instruction, including a live-fire exercise and a written exam with a minimum passing score. It also requires handgun training classes to be held in-person and include training on the safe handling of firearms and ammunition, safe storage of firearms and child safety, federal and state firearm laws, interactions with law enforcement, and more.
“We all share a common goal of keeping illegal guns out of our communities, which is why I’m proud that two of my laws to ensure the safety of our loved ones and neighbors are going into effect,” said Duran, sponsor of HB24-1174 and SB24-003. “The data is clear - live-fire gun training can save lives. Our new legislation will ensure that Coloradans with concealed carry permits are properly trained before they bring their firearm into their communities. Additionally, SB24-003 uplifts our past work and reflects our commitment to keeping our communities safe by ensuring law enforcement agencies have the resources they need to investigate illegal firearm activity.”
“Responsible gun ownership takes work,” said Mullica. “Creating minimum training requirements for safe handling of firearms, shooting fundamentals and more ensures we’re treating concealed carry permits with the seriousness they deserve. Too often, careless gun owners create dangerous situations that needlessly put many others in harm's way. I’m proud to champion this important legislation that advances gun safety measures and helps prevent senseless gun violence.”
“When I received my concealed carry permit years ago, I was surprised to learn that Colorado law did not require live-fire training, a necessary skill to have before carrying a gun in public spaces," said Snyder. "Our new law will create a minimum requirement for concealed carry permit holders, including in-person live-fire training with a certified firearms instructor, to ensure that concealed carry permits are issued with appropriate training. Many dedicated and qualified firearm instructors already exceed the minimum requirements in this law, and this law will close that gap to ensure that everyone who applies for a concealed carry permit has proper training. This commonsense gun violence prevention legislation will help prevent senseless gun deaths by improving firearm training.”
HB24-1174 also prohibits a person from being issued a permit if they have been convicted of certain misdemeanor offenses within five years of submitting a concealed carry permit application. The law makes it a deceptive trade practice for a person to claim to be a verified firearms safety instructor unless they have been verified by a county sheriff.
Sponsored by Senator Tom Sullivan, D-Centennial, Majority Leader Duran, and Rep. Meg Froelich, D-Englewood, SB24-003 gives the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) the ability to investigate illegal activity involving firearms. The law appropriates $1.7 million to the Department of Public Safety to create a team that investigates individuals convicted of felonies who are attempting to illegally purchase a firearm, and other illegal firearm crimes such as possession of a ghost gun.
“This year we’re creating safer communities across Colorado by improving CBI’s authority and ability to more effectively investigate illegal firearms purchases and transfers, purchases of illegal components and ghost guns, and information obtained through tip lines such as suspected straw purchases,” said Sullivan, sponsor of SB24-003 and SB24-066. “Additionally, with SB66 in effect, we will finally have even more tools to protect people. In the weeks before my son Alex was killed in the Aurora Theater shooting, his killer purchased multiple firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition - and nobody batted an eye. Merchant category codes will enable credit card companies to detect alarming purchasing patterns like his and alert law enforcement, helping to prevent horrific acts of gun violence before disaster strikes.”
“It’s important to tackle illegal guns in Colorado to increase public safety,” said Froelich, sponsor of SB24-003 and SB24-066. “Current gaps in authority and resources make it difficult for law enforcement officials to enforce our laws to the fullest extent, which is why our new law will give CBI the authority and the resources to work with local law enforcement agencies on life-saving investigations of illegal firearms. Another new law will go into effect to expand the use of credit card merchant codes, an effective tool already used by law enforcement, to combat human trafficking and money laundering crimes. Our legislation is crucial in giving law enforcement a head start in preventing gun violence so we can save Colorado lives."
Finally, SB24-066, sponsored by Sullivan, Froelich, and Rep. Javier Mabrey, D-Denver, requires payment card networks like Visa or Mastercard to provide a specific code, known as a merchant code, for businesses that sell firearms and ammunition. Merchant codes allow banks and credit card companies to recognize dangerous firearm purchasing patterns – like a domestic extremist building up an arsenal – and report them to law enforcement.
“Credit cards have been used to finance many of the major mass shootings in recent years, and identifying suspicious weapon and ammunition stockpiling before a tragedy can take place will save lives," said Mabrey. "Firearms are uniquely exempted from having a merchant code. Almost every other product has one of these codes and this new law removes that exemption. This information could be provided to law enforcement, and it could have a life-saving impact in our communities.”
A report found that this policy could have prevented many mass shootings, including the Aurora movie theater shooting and the Pulse Nightclub shooting. The Aurora movie theater shooter used a MasterCard to buy $11,000 worth of weapons and military gear at multiple stores in the six weeks before the shooting.