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Senate adopts bill letting CBI set background-check hours after debate on access
Summary
The Senate approved House Bill 13-02 to let the Colorado Bureau of Investigation set background-check operating hours. Supporters called the change administrative housekeeping; opponents warned removing a statutory 12-hour minimum could reduce access to a constitutional right if combined with other restrictions.
The Senate adopted House Bill 13-02 on April 13, which removes a statutory requirement that the Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s InstaCheck unit operate a prescribed 12-hour daily schedule and instead allows the bureau to set operating hours based on operational needs.
Senator Kipp, floor sponsor, framed the measure as an administrative update aligning statute with current practices at CBI. “The data makes the case really clearly,” Kipp said, noting that only a small share of submissions occur during late evening hours and that CBI needs staffing flexibility.
Opponents, including Senator Zamora Wilson, cautioned that removing the statutory minimum could have downstream effects on access to lawful firearm purchases. “The question of when that unit is open and when it is closed is not a trivial administrative scheduling matter,” she said, arguing the statutory floor exists to ensure reliable access to a process that regulates a constitutional right. Critics also warned that administrative delegation without clear minimums or notice rules could cause access problems for rural Coloradans.
Amendments to preserve a 9-to-9 daily window or to require public notice when hours change were offered (including L16 and L17). Amendment L16 (to keep consistent 9-to-9 hours and create a contingency if a waiting-period law is later found unconstitutional) was defeated, as was L17 (which would have required public notice within 24 hours of any change). The Senate ultimately adopted the bill.
What happens next: The bill permits the bureau to set hours administratively; the transcript records floor passage and several failed amendments that sought to limit or clarify the bureau’s discretion. The bill’s practical effect will depend on how CBI structures its operating hours and any accompanying notice procedures.
