A Bill for an Act
Page 1, Line 101Concerning creating policies for state agencies in the
Page 1, Line 102treatment of certain items related to weapons, and, in
Page 1, Line 103connection therewith, creating state procurement
Page 1, Line 104practices for firearms, ammunition, and firearms
Page 1, Line 105accessories and requiring law enforcement agency
Page 1, Line 106policies regarding the disposal and destruction of
Page 1, Line 107firearms.
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at http://leg.colorado.gov.)
The bill creates procurement practices for firearms, ammunition, and firearms accessories by the state. The bill applies to all bids the state solicits, enters into, awards, amends, renews, or extends on and after January 1, 2026, for procuring firearms, ammunition, or firearms accessories from a contractor or bidder. During a governmental body's contract solicitation process, request for proposal process, or request during the term of a contract, a contractor or bidder shall follow a procurement verification process (verification process) to confirm that the contractor or bidder engages in safe business practices.
The attorney general shall assist the department of personnel in developing processes and procedures to implement the verification process.
Each law enforcement agency shall destroy and dispose of:
- Service firearms that are retired, damaged, or declared surplus by the applicable law enforcement agency;
- Firearms purchased in a law enforcement agency buyback program;
- Firearms that are voluntarily surrendered to the law enforcement agency for destruction; and
- Any other firearms in the possession of the law enforcement agency that are not in use or subject to an investigation or criminal case.
- Identify and make a record of firearms that are required to be destroyed;
- Identify and make a record of firearms that are not required to be destroyed;
- Maintain the records of firearms to be destroyed; and
- Destroy and dispose of the firearms.
If a peace officer receives one of these firearms, the peace officer shall give the firearm to the peace officer's employing law enforcement agency. The law enforcement agency may work with an organization or state agency it contracts with to destroy and dispose of the firearm.
The bill requires each law enforcement agency in the state, on or before September 5, 2025, to develop and maintain a policy on the destruction of firearms. The policy must include a process to:
Upon the written order of a court or the district attorney that the retention of a firearm is necessary or proper in the pursuit of justice, the peace officer and the peace officer's employing law enforcement agency shall not destroy and dispose of the firearm. If the firearm is evidence in a criminal case, the firearm must be retained.
A law enforcement agency shall not destroy and dispose of a stolen firearm. Within 90 days after a recovered firearm is reported or identified as stolen, a peace officer shall restore the firearm to the lawful owner upon evidence of the lawful owner's identification of the firearm and proof of ownership. If the lawful owner's identity and address is reasonably ascertained and the lawful owner is given reasonable notice by certified mail that the firearm was recovered but the lawful owner does not respond within 60 days after the reasonable notice is given, the law enforcement agency may destroy and dispose of the firearm.
Page 3, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
Page 3, Line 2SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 24-103-906, amend (1)(a) as follows:
Page 3, Line 324-103-906. Bid preference - state contracts. (1) (a) Except as
Page 3, Line 4provided in subsection (1)(b) of this section and in
section 24-103-907Page 3, Line 5sections 24-103-907 and 24-103-907.5, when a contract for
Page 3, Line 6commodities or services is to be awarded to a bidder, a resident bidder
Page 3, Line 7
shall bePage 3, Line 8preference given or required by the state in which the nonresident bidder is a resident.
Page 3, Line 9SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 24-103-907.5 as follows:
Page 3, Line 1024-103-907.5. State purchases of firearms and ammunition -
Page 3, Line 11contractor or bidder - rules - legislative intent - definitions.(1) (a) The general assembly intends that:
Page 3, Line 12(I) This section is created for the development of
Page 3, Line 13procurement practices for firearms, ammunition, and firearms accessories by the state; and
Page 3, Line 14(II) This section applies to all bids the state solicits,
Page 3, Line 15enters into, awards, amends, renews, or extends on or after
Page 3, Line 16January 1, 2026, for procuring firearms, ammunition, or firearms accessories.
Page 3, Line 17(b) The general assembly therefore finds that a
Page 4, Line 1contractor, bidder, or governmental body shall comply with
Page 4, Line 2this section during a contract solicitation process or request
Page 4, Line 3for proposal process involving firearms, ammunition, and firearms accessories and throughout the term of the contract.
Page 4, Line 4(2) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
Page 4, Line 5(a) "Ammunition" has the same meaning as set forth in section 39-37-103.
Page 4, Line 6(b) "Federal firearms license" has the same meaning as set forth in section 18-12-401.
Page 4, Line 7(c) "Federal firearms licensee" or "licensee" has the same meaning as set forth in section 18-12-101 (1)(b.6).
Page 4, Line 8(d) "Firearm" has the same meaning as set forth in section 18-12-101 (1)(b.7).
Page 4, Line 9(e) "Firearms accessory" means any supplementary item or
Page 4, Line 10component designed to enhance the functionality, performance,
Page 4, Line 11or user experience of a firearm. Firearms accessories may
Page 4, Line 12include parts that modify a firearm or external equipment that
Page 4, Line 13is used in conjunction with the firearm. Firearms accessories include, but are not limited to:
Page 4, Line 14(I) Sights and optics;
(II) Holsters;
Page 4, Line 15(III) Magazines;
(IV) Grips;
Page 4, Line 16(V) Slings;
Page 4, Line 17(VI) Muzzle devices, suppressors, compensators, and flash
Page 4, Line 18hiders;
(VII) Bipods;
Page 5, Line 1(VIII) Trigger upgrades and conversion devices;
(IX) Cleaning kits; or
Page 5, Line 2(X) Ammunition carriers.
Page 5, Line 3(f) "Firearms or ammunition bidder" or "bidder" means a
Page 5, Line 4bidder who submits a bid in response to an invitation for bids
Page 5, Line 5from a governmental body for the sale of firearms, ammunition, or firearms accessories pursuant to this section.
Page 5, Line 6(g) "Firearms or ammunition contractor" or "contractor"
Page 5, Line 7means a contractor who enters into a contract or agreement
Page 5, Line 8with a governmental body for the sale of firearms, ammunition,
Page 5, Line 9or firearms accessories to the governmental body pursuant to this section.
Page 5, Line 10(3) (a) During a governmental body's contract
Page 5, Line 11solicitation process, a governmental body's request for
Page 5, Line 12proposal process, or upon request during the term of a contract
Page 5, Line 13with a governmental body relating to the procurement of
Page 5, Line 14firearms, ammunition, or firearms accessories, a firearms or
Page 5, Line 15ammunition contractor or a firearms or ammunition bidder shall, if applicable:
Page 5, Line 16(I) Comply with the requirements of section 18-12-401.5 (1)
Page 5, Line 17to engage in the business of dealing in firearms in the state, if applicable;
Page 5, Line 18(II) Provide to the governmental body proof and copies of
Page 5, Line 19all required licenses, including a federal firearms license, permits, and certificates;
Page 5, Line 20(III) Provide to the governmental body materials
Page 6, Line 1documenting the number of United States bureau of alcohol,
Page 6, Line 2tobacco, firearms, and explosives trace requests the
Page 6, Line 3contractor or bidder received each year for the past five
Page 6, Line 4calendar years before the date of the contract or bid and, if
Page 6, Line 5applicable, the time between the sale of the firearm subject to
Page 6, Line 6the trace request and the crime that generated the trace request;
Page 6, Line 7(IV) Provide to the governmental body materials
Page 6, Line 8documenting any theft or loss of firearms, ammunition, or
Page 6, Line 9firearms accessories from the premises of the contractor or
Page 6, Line 10bidder within the past five calendar years before the date of the contract or bid to evaluate security concerns;
Page 6, Line 11(V) Provide to the governmental body a true copy of the
Page 6, Line 12most recent inspection report of any firearm, ammunition, or
Page 6, Line 13firearms accessories inspection conducted by a state or local
Page 6, Line 14agency, including any additional materials documenting
Page 6, Line 15administrative actions taken by the state or local agency, if applicable;
Page 6, Line 16(VI) Disclose to the governmental body any violations
Page 6, Line 17discovered from an inspection conducted by a federal agency
Page 6, Line 18during the last two firearms, ammunition, or firearms
Page 6, Line 19accessories inspections, if applicable, and provide materials
Page 6, Line 20documenting the contractor's or bidder's corrective actions
Page 6, Line 21taken in response to a finding of noncompliance or a violation of
Page 6, Line 22a federal firearm, ammunition, or firearms accessories law, regulation, or requirement;
Page 6, Line 23(VII) Provide to the governmental body in writing any
Page 7, Line 1practices or policies adopted by the contractor or bidder,
Page 7, Line 2including any subsequent amendments made to the practices or policies during the solicitation process and contract term, to:
Page 7, Line 3(A) Prevent, detect, and screen for the transfer of firearms to straw purchasers or firearm traffickers;
Page 7, Line 4(B) Prevent, detect, and screen against sales of firearms,
Page 7, Line 5ammunition, or firearms accessories to individuals prohibited
Page 7, Line 6from possessing a firearm by federal, state, or local law, or court order;
Page 7, Line 7(C) Prevent, detect, and document the theft or loss of firearms, ammunition, or firearms accessories;
Page 7, Line 8(D) Train employees and subcontractors to ensure
Page 7, Line 9compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local firearms laws and regulations;
Page 7, Line 10(E) Assist law enforcement agencies in the investigation
Page 7, Line 11and prevention of criminal access to firearms, ammunition, or firearms accessories; and
Page 7, Line 12(F) Operate digital video surveillance; and
Page 7, Line 13(VIII) Comply with all applicable federal, state, or local laws.
Page 7, Line 14(b) The contractor or bidder shall affirm at the time of
Page 7, Line 15the bid that the contractor or bidder shall not sell
Page 7, Line 16unserialized gun build kits or firearm precursor parts, as
Page 7, Line 17defined in section 39-37-103, including unserialized firearms,
Page 7, Line 18unserialized unfinished frames, or unfinished receivers through
Page 7, Line 19the duration of the contract. The contractor or bidder shall
Page 7, Line 20provide documentation to prove compliance with applicable
Page 8, Line 1federal, state, or local laws related to firearm precursor parts.
Page 8, Line 2(c) The contractor or bidder shall submit to the
Page 8, Line 3department a certification statement, signed and affirmed
Page 8, Line 4under penalty of perjury, as defined in section 18-8-503, stating
Page 8, Line 5that the materials provided in subsection (3)(a) of this section are true and complete.
Page 8, Line 6(4) (a) The attorney general shall assist the department
Page 8, Line 7in developing processes and procedures to implement this
Page 8, Line 8section, including a process to administer and assess a
Page 8, Line 9contractor's or bidder's compliance with the requirements of this section. The process may include, but need not be limited to:
Page 8, Line 10(I) Developing a prequalification process to prequalify
Page 8, Line 11potential contractors or bidders as set forth in section 24-103-402;
Page 8, Line 12(II) Developing a scoring system to evaluate a potential
Page 8, Line 13contractor's or bidder's record of safe business practices that is used in awarding contracts or purchases; and
Page 8, Line 14(III) Terminating contracts with contractors or bidders
Page 8, Line 15found to be noncompliant with the terms of this section during
Page 8, Line 16the term of the contract as set forth in section 24-106-101 (3)(c) and (3)(d).
Page 8, Line 17(b) The department shall reject a bid or proposal for a
Page 8, Line 18firearms, ammunition, or firearms accessories contract or sale if:
Page 8, Line 19(I) A contractor or bidder has not submitted the required
Page 8, Line 20documentation set forth in subsection (3)(a) of this section;
Page 9, Line 1(II) The contractor's or bidder's required documentation
Page 9, Line 2does not meet the standards set forth in subsection (3)(a) of this section; or
Page 9, Line 3(III) The department determines the bidder or contractor is not engaging in safe business practices.
Page 9, Line 4(5) A governmental body shall not waive the
Page 9, Line 5requirements of this section or make exigent or emergency
Page 9, Line 6purchases of firearms, ammunition, or firearms accessories to subvert this section.
Page 9, Line 7(6) The department may adopt rules to implement this section.
Page 9, Line 8(7) A resident bidder and nonresident bidder are treated
Page 9, Line 9equally for purposes of this section. A resident bidder shall not
Page 9, Line 10receive a bid preference against a nonresident bidder for the
Page 9, Line 11purchase of firearms, ammunition, or firearms accessories as set forth in section 24-103-906 (1)(a).
Page 9, Line 12SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add part 6 to article 2.5 of title 16 as follows:
Page 9, Line 13PART 6
TREATMENT OF FIREARMS
Page 9, Line 14BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
Page 9, Line 1516-2.5-601. Definitions.As used in this part 6, unless the context otherwise requires:
Page 9, Line 16(1) "Destroy" means to destroy a firearm in its entirety by
Page 9, Line 17smelting, shredding, crushing, or cutting all parts of the
Page 9, Line 18firearm, including the frame or receiver, barrel, bolt, or grip of
Page 9, Line 19a firearm, and any attachments, if applicable, including a sight, scope, silencer, or suppressor.
Page 10, Line 1(2) "Firearm" has the same meaning as set forth in section 18-12-101 (1)(b.7).
Page 10, Line 2(3) "Law enforcement agency" means any agency of the
Page 10, Line 3state or its political subdivision that is responsible for
Page 10, Line 4enforcing the laws of this state. "Law enforcement agency" includes:
Page 10, Line 5(a) The Colorado state patrol created pursuant to section 24-33.5-201;
Page 10, Line 6(b) The Colorado bureau of investigation created pursuant to section 24-33.5-401;
Page 10, Line 7(c) A county sheriff's office;
(d) A municipal police department;
Page 10, Line 8(e) A town marshal's office; or
(f) Any other state or local law enforcement agency.
Page 10, Line 916-2.5-602. Destruction of firearms - policy. (1) (a) Each law enforcement agency shall destroy and dispose of:
Page 10, Line 10(I) Service firearms that are retired, damaged, or declared surplus by the applicable law enforcement agency;
Page 10, Line 11(II) Firearms purchased in a law enforcement agency buyback program;
Page 10, Line 12(III) Firearms that are voluntarily surrendered to the law enforcement agency for destruction; and
Page 10, Line 13(IV) Any other firearms in the possession of the law
Page 10, Line 14enforcement agency that are not in use nor subject to an
Page 10, Line 15investigation or criminal case as described in subsection (2)(b) of
Page 10, Line 16this section.
Page 11, Line 1(b) Each law enforcement agency may contract with an
Page 11, Line 2organization or a state agency to destroy and dispose of the firearms described in subsection (1)(a) of this section.
Page 11, Line 3(2) (a) If a peace officer receives a firearm as described in
Page 11, Line 4subsection (1)(a) of this section, the peace officer shall give the
Page 11, Line 5firearm to the peace officer's employing law enforcement
Page 11, Line 6agency. The law enforcement agency shall work with the
Page 11, Line 7organization or state agency the law enforcement agency
Page 11, Line 8contracts with pursuant to subsection (1)(b) of this section to
Page 11, Line 9destroy and dispose of the firearm. The law enforcement agency
Page 11, Line 10shall submit proof to the court of the destruction and disposal of the firearm.
Page 11, Line 11(b) Notwithstanding subsection (1)(a) of this section to
Page 11, Line 12the contrary, upon the written order of a judge of a court of
Page 11, Line 13record or the district attorney that the retention of a firearm
Page 11, Line 14is necessary or proper in the pursuit of justice, the peace officer
Page 11, Line 15and the peace officer's employing law enforcement agency shall
Page 11, Line 16not destroy and dispose of the firearm. If the firearm is evidence
Page 11, Line 17in a criminal case, the firearm must be retained as required by
Page 11, Line 18part 4 of article 1 of title 18 and the Colorado rules of criminal procedure.
Page 11, Line 19(3) (a) On or before September 5, 2025, each law
Page 11, Line 20enforcement agency shall develop, finalize, and maintain a
Page 11, Line 21policy on the destruction of firearms as required pursuant to
Page 11, Line 22subsection (1)(a) of this section. The policy must include a process to:
Page 11, Line 23(I) Identify and make a record of firearms that are
Page 12, Line 1required to be destroyed as described in subsection (1)(a) of this section;
Page 12, Line 2(II) Identify and make a record of firearms that are not required to be destroyed;
Page 12, Line 3(III) Maintain the records described in subsections (3)(a)(I) and (3)(a)(II) of this section; and
Page 12, Line 4(IV) Destroy and dispose of the firearms described in subsection (1)(a) of this section.
Page 12, Line 5(b) In the records described in subsection (3)(a)(I) of this
Page 12, Line 6section, each law enforcement agency shall include the name of
Page 12, Line 7the organization or state agency that the law enforcement
Page 12, Line 8agency contracts with for the destruction and disposal of
Page 12, Line 9firearms. In the policy described in subsection (3)(a) of this
Page 12, Line 10section, each law enforcement agency shall outline the
Page 12, Line 11responsibilities of the law enforcement agency and the
Page 12, Line 12organization or state agency the law enforcement agency contracts with for the destruction and disposal of firearms.
Page 12, Line 13(c) Each law enforcement agency shall post the policy
Page 12, Line 14described in subsection (3)(a) of this section on its website within
Page 12, Line 15seven calendar days after the policy is finalized. If the law
Page 12, Line 16enforcement agency updates its policy, it shall post the updated
Page 12, Line 17policy on its website within seven calendar days after the updated policy is finalized.
Page 12, Line 18(4) (a) A law enforcement agency shall not destroy and
Page 12, Line 19dispose of a stolen firearm. Within ninety days after a
Page 12, Line 20recovered firearm is reported or identified as stolen, a peace
Page 12, Line 21officer shall return the firearm to the lawful owner upon
Page 13, Line 1evidence of the lawful owner's identification of the firearm and proof of ownership.
Page 13, Line 2(b) Notwithstanding the prohibition in subsection (4)(a) of
Page 13, Line 3this section on destroying recovered stolen firearms, if the
Page 13, Line 4identity and address of a lawful owner of a recovered stolen
Page 13, Line 5firearm is reasonably ascertained and the lawful owner is given
Page 13, Line 6reasonable notice by certified mail that the firearm was
Page 13, Line 7recovered but the lawful owner does not respond within sixty
Page 13, Line 8days after the reasonable notice is received by the lawful
Page 13, Line 9owner, the law enforcement agency may destroy and dispose of the firearm.
Page 13, Line 10SECTION 4. Act subject to petition - effective date. Sections
Page 13, Line 111 and 2 of this act take effect January 1, 2026, and the remainder of this
Page 13, Line 12act takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
Page 13, Line 13ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except
Page 13, Line 14that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V
Page 13, Line 15of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this
Page 13, Line 16act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take
Page 13, Line 17effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in
Page 13, Line 18November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.