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Committee approves measure to send safe-storage notification requirement to committee of the whole
Summary
The House Education Committee voted 7-5 to advance a bill that would require school districts to provide parents information about Colorado secure-storage law and local safe-storage resources, following hours of testimony from students, parents, teachers, medical professionals and advocacy groups.
The House Education Committee voted 7-5 to advance House Bill 1250, a measure that would require school districts to provide parents and guardians of k–12 students a notice about Colorado’s secure firearm storage law and to publish links to state-approved safe-storage materials on district websites.
Representative Cathy Hamrick, the bill sponsor, said the measure seeks to give families practical information that reduces unintentional injuries and suicides involving firearms. Testimony came from dozens of witnesses: students, school staff and administrators, pediatricians, emergency nurses, nonprofit advocates and representatives of community groups urged the panel to pass a low-cost notification requirement to increase awareness of the 2021 Colorado secure storage law and local safe-storage options (for example, gun storage at ranges or firearm retailers, and links to resources maintained by the Office of Gun Violence Prevention and the CU Anschutz Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative).
Supporters said the measure is a narrow, nonpunitive step that can be implemented at little or no cost and help prevent tragedies — citing state and national statistics showing a large share of child firearm injuries occur in the home and that access to a family firearm increases the risk of suicide. Several medical witnesses and public-health organizations urged adoption, pointing to international and domestic studies linking secure storage to lower rates of accidental shootings and youth suicide.
David Valentine of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners offered a dissenting view, arguing the bill could encourage children to report parents and undermine parental authority. Other opponents raised concerns about schools’ role in distributing safety messages and the potential for messaging to stigmatize lawful gun owners. Sponsors adopted a small technical amendment to clarify content and distribution mechanics after stakeholder feedback; that amendment passed 9-3 in committee.
Representative Hamrick moved the bill to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation; the motion passed 7-5. Supporters said the next step is committee of the whole review and, if passed by the House, the measure would be available for final legislative action and, as written, would require school districts to supply notices at the start of each school year and post safe-storage links online.
