Gov. Jared Polis signed bills that mandate the safe storage of firearms and require gun owners to report lost or stolen weapons.
Democrats argued that the storage bill would help reduce youth and other suicides, as well as accidental shootings. Republicans questioned whether the bill was intended to criminalize responsible gun owners.
The bill makes it a crime to illegally store a firearm if a person stores a weapon knowing that a youth or an ineligible resident of the facility can access it without permission. The initiative is one of several that are being considered or adopted across the country.
The Democratic governor also signed a law requiring gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms to law enforcement or they will face $25 fines for the first offense.
Law enforcement agencies would report the firearms theft to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the FBI’s National Crime Information Center, which shares information with law enforcement agencies across the country.
Sponsors of the bill argued that it would help law enforcement recover lost weapons, combat firearms trafficking and reduce gun violence. Republicans questioned how the bill would reduce gun violence if a lost gun is already on the streets.