Bill > HB1265

This bill mandates that by September 1, 2026, every law enforcement agency in Colorado must register for the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives' (ATF) National Electronic Tracing System and opt into its collective data-sharing feature, unless they already have an arrangement allowing them to submit firearm information to the system through another agency, the Colorado State Patrol, or the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. When a law enforcement agency recovers or confiscates a firearm, they are required to transmit relevant information to the ATF's system within ninety days, with an exception for voluntarily relinquished firearms or those not connected to a criminal investigation. The bill defines "law enforcement agency" broadly to include various police departments, sheriff's offices, and other entities with jurisdiction over firearms-related crime investigations, and "recover or confiscate" to encompass obtaining firearms from crime scenes, seizures, forfeitures, abandoned items, or any other acquisition believed to be connected with a crime. Furthermore, all information shared with and received from the ATF's tracing system must be shared with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, aiming to improve collaboration and intelligence sharing among law enforcement agencies to combat gun crime more effectively.

Military Affairs and Security

https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/HB26-1265