Bill > SB004

This bill expands the list of individuals and entities who can petition a court for an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO), which is a court order that temporarily restricts a person's access to firearms if they are deemed a danger to themselves or others. Specifically, the bill adds "co-responders" who are part of community response teams and provide crisis intervention services, as well as "institutional petitioners" which are defined as entities that employ or contract with community members, such as school districts, hospitals, and behavioral health facilities, to the list of those who can request an ERPO. The bill also clarifies that educators at institutions of higher education, including community colleges, local district colleges, and area technical colleges, are considered "community members" for the purpose of petitioning for an ERPO, and it allows these community members and institutional petitioners to disclose protected health information as necessary for the investigation of an ERPO request, while also providing them with liability protection for good faith actions. Furthermore, the bill specifies that law enforcement officers or agencies can seek an ERPO if they have probable cause to believe the respondent possesses firearms and must concurrently file for a search warrant to seize those firearms.

Military Affairs and Security

https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/SB26-004