This week, lawmakers introduced fewer bills than in recent weeks, but the ones that were introduced packed a punch. Colorado legislators introduced a slew of gun control and firearm-focused bills.
One of the new bills would increase the minimum age requirement to purchase a firearm in the state, repeal a limitation on product liability for firearm and ammunition manufacturers and establish a waiting period for delivery of a firearm after a background check, subject to fines.
Also introduced this week was a bill to reenact extreme risk protection orders and expand the list of who can petition for one.
Bill Number: HB23-1214
Title: Procedure To Apply For Commutation Of Sentence
Introduced: Feb. 22
Sponsors: E. Epps
Summary: The bill would establish a process for how an incarcerated individual can apply for a commutation. The process would require the executive clemency representative to gather information from the district attorney who prosecuted the applicant’s case and create a list of factors that the governor and executive clemency board may consider when evaluating the application and deciding whether the applicant’s sentence should be commuted. The governor would retain the ultimate decision-making authority on whether to commute a sentence.
Bill Number: HB23-1215
Title: Limits On Hospital Facility Fees
Introduced: Feb. 22
Sponsors: E. Sirota, A. Boesenecker, K. Mullica, L. Cutter
Summary: The bill would prohibit a health care provider affiliated with or owned by a hospital or health system from charging a facility fee for health care services furnished by the provider for outpatient services provided at an off-campus location or through telehealth or certain outpatient, diagnostic or imaging services identified by the medical services board as services that may be provided safely, reliably and effectively in nonhospital settings.
Bill Number: HB23-1218
Title: Health Facility Patient Information Denied Service
Introduced: Feb. 22
Sponsors: K. Brown, B. Titone, S. Jaquez Lewis
Summary: The bill would require the Department of Public Health and Environment to identify health care services that are or may be subject to a denial of care in Colorado and to develop a simple service availability form to be filled out by a covered entity to tell patients about health care services that, for nonmedical reasons, are not generally available at the covered entity or that are subject to significant restriction at the covered entity.
Bill Number: HB23-1219
Title: Waiting Period To Deliver A Firearm
Introduced: Feb. 23
Sponsors: M. Froelich, J. Amabile, T. Sullivan, C. Hansen
Summary: The bill would establish a waiting period before a firearms seller may deliver a firearm to a purchaser. The waiting period is three days after the initiation of a required background check of the purchaser or when the purchase is approved following any background check. Delivering a firearm prior to the expiration of the waiting period is a civil infraction punishable by a $500 fine for a first offense and a $500 to $5,000 fine for a second or subsequent offense.
Bill Number: SB23-168
Title: Gun Violence Victims’ Access To Judicial System
Introduced: Feb. 23
Sponsors: S. Jaquez Lewis, C. Kolker, J. Mabrey, J. Parenti
Summary: The bill would repeal a limitation on product liability against firearm and ammunition manufacturers. The bill would also require each industry member engaged in the manufacture, distribution, importation, marketing or wholesale or retail sale of an industry product in Colorado to establish and implement reasonable controls and precautions.
Bill Number: SB23-169
Title: Increasing Minimum Age To Purchase Firearms
Introduced: Feb. 23
Sponsors: K. Mullica, J. Danielson, M. Duran, E. Hamrick
Summary: The bill would increase the minimum age requirement to purchase a firearm to 21 years or older and adds “intentionally” to the mens rea required for a person under 21 years of age to commit the offense of possessing or purchasing a firearm. The bill lists exceptions to the offense.
Bill Number: SB23-170
Title: Extreme Risk Protection Order Petitions
Introduced: Feb. 23
Sponsors: T. Sullivan, S. Fenberg, J. Bacon, M. Weissman
Summary: The bill would repeal and reenact the statutory article related to extreme risk protection orders. Among other provisions, the bill would also expand the list of who can petition for an extreme risk protection order to include licensed medical care providers, licensed mental health care providers, licensed educators and district attorneys.
Bill Number: SB23-172
Title: Protecting Opportunities And Workers’ Rights Act
Introduced: Feb. 27
Sponsors: F. Winter, J. Gonzales, M. Weissman, J. Bacon
Summary: The bill would enact the Protecting Opportunities and Workers’ Rights Act which directs the Colorado Civil Rights Division to include “harassment” as a basis or description of discrimination on any charge form or charge intake, adds a new definition of “harass” or “harassment” and repeals the current definition of “harass” that requires creation of a hostile work environment and adds protections from discriminatory or unfair employment, among other things.
Bill Number: HB23-1222
Title: Cases Of Domestic Violence In Municipal Court
Introduced: March 1
Sponsors: M. Duran, M. Weissman, D. Roberts
Summary: Beginning Jan. 1, 2024, the bill would prohibit the prosecution of an alleged act of domestic violence in municipal courts. The county and district courts would retain jurisdiction over such cases.
Law Week’s legislative tracking is done through State Bill, a product of our publisher, Circuit Media.