Colorado: General Assembly Adjourns Sine Die from 2024 Session

On Wednesday, May 8th, the Colorado General Assembly adjourned sine die from the 2024 legislative session. This session saw a slew of anti-gun legislation pushed by radical legislators in both chambers, but thanks to the efforts of freedom loving Colorado patriots, both citizen activists and elected members of the General Assembly, many of the more egregious bills were met with defeat. The final days of session saw the defeat of the expansive semi-auto ban and the liability insurance mandate, but several bad bills were passed including the 6.5% excise tax on firearms and ammunition. The NRA thanks all our members and fellow Second Amendment advocates who engaged with their legislators to oppose these bills!

Anti-gun bills defeated this session:

HB24-1270 would have forced gun owners to obtain liability insurance to purchase and carry a gun in Colorado. 

HB24-1292's broad definition of “assault weapon” would have banned countless semi-automatic rifles, including America’s most common rifle -- the AR-15, pistols and shotguns that Coloradans use for hunting, target shooting, and self-defense. The bill also would have banned .50 BMG rifles, even though these rifles are essentially never used in crime. Even worse, the ban extended to common firearm parts and many innocuous components in the definition of “assault weapon” and “rapid-fire trigger activator” (FRT/forced reset trigger). A person in violation of this unconstitutional ban would have been charged with a petty offense.

HB24-1310, the ban on school employees carrying on school grounds would have ended the very successful FASTER Colorado program and would have banned carry on college campuses. 

While the bills above were met with defeat, those listed below advanced to the governor's desk before session ended. Please contact Governor Polis by using the Take Action button below, or contacting his office directly at [email protected] or calling (303) 866-2471 and urge him to VETO the bills that have gone to his desk!

Bills pending action with the Governor:

HB24-1174, increases the training requirements for concealed carry permit applicants and requires class instructors to be certified by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. This legislation is a solution in search of a problem, meant to harass gun owners and instructors by arbitrarily raising the qualification standards and likely the costs, despite not showing any existing deficiency in the current training standards.

HB 24-1348 mandates that firearms stored in unattended vehicles must be kept in a locked hard-sided container that is kept out of view or within the locked trunk of the vehicle. The bill creates civil penalties for infractions. 

HB 24-1349, originally a 11.5% tax, the bill as amended creates a 6.5% excise tax on the sale of all firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition in the state. If signed by the governor, the tax will be on the ballot for voter approval this Fall. Firearms and ammunition are already subject to an 11% federal excise tax through the Pittman-Robertson Act, along with a variety of other state and local taxes and fees. California is the only other state to enact similar legislation. This tax should be seen as nothing more than an attack on the Second Amendment and those who exercise their rights under it.

HB 24-1353 creates a duplicative state level permitting system for federal firearm licensed dealers. The new permit imposes an unnecessary burden on these already highly regulated businesses while placing them at the mercy of potentially hostile state bureaucrats. 

SB24-131 expands Colorado's "sensitive places," also knows as gun-free zones. Although the bill has narrower definitions following amendments by the Senate, the bill is still a threat to law-abiding gun owners. This new prohibition includes polling places, community centers, churches, college campuses, and more.

Bills signed into law by Governor Polis:

SB24-066 legislation requiring the use of merchant category codes by payment processors to identify firearm, firearm accessories, and ammunition purchases

Thank you to all of our members who engaged in many different ways with the General Assembly this session. It truly does make a difference. Freedom is worth fighting for in Colorado! Please stay tuned to the NRA-ILA website and your inbox for updates.