DENVER — Today, the Colorado Senate passed HB 1144, critical legislation to expand Colorado’s existing ghost gun law and address the growing threat of 3D-printed firearms and illegal gun parts and accessories. The bill now heads back to the House for concurrence.
“Colorado continues to lead the nation in standing up to the gun industry and closing dangerous loopholes that put our families at risk,” said Kathy Hagen, a volunteer with the Colorado chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Right now, anyone with a 3D printer can manufacture untraceable firearms and illegal gun parts at home, bypassing background checks and evading commonsense laws designed to keep us safe. By passing HB 1144, lawmakers are making clear that our laws will keep pace with evolving technology, and that public safety will always come first. We urge the House to concur and Governor Polis to sign this life-saving bill into law without delay.”
“Our generation has grown up practicing active shooter drills and watching lawmakers debate whether protecting us is politically convenient,” said Norah Krause, a volunteer leader with Denver East Students Demand Action. The origin of the bill traces back to a 2023 shooting at Denver East High School. “We know the consequences of inaction — and we refuse to accept a future where anyone can download a file and 3D-print a gunfirearm designed to kill. HB 1144 is about making sure rapidly evolving technology doesn’t outpace common-sense gun safety laws. Colorado lawmakers listened to young people and chose to act. Now it’s time to finish the job and get this bill signed into law.”
HB 1144 ensures that emerging technology cannot be used to bypass background checks and other safeguards designed to keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them and to keep our communities safe. Law enforcement across Colorado have already recovered 3D-printed firearms and hundreds of illegal rapid-fire devices produced using this technology. In 2022, the shooter who killed five people and wounded 19 others at Club Q had begun building 3D-printed firearms prior to the attack.
Since 2016, the number of ghost guns used in crimes throughout the country has increased by 1,000 percent, yet over 99 percent of those guns cannot be traced back to a user, owner, or producer. Between 2016 and 2021, law enforcement reported recovering over 45,000 privately made firearms, including in nearly 700 homicide or attempted homicide investigations. When an untraceable gun is used in a crime, it can be nearly impossible for victims and their families to seek accountability. 3D printing is emerging as a new and growing source of untraceable ghost guns.
Colorado has long been a national leader in passing strong gun safety laws. As technology evolves, HB 1144 ensures those laws remain meaningful, enforceable, and effective in protecting families, schools, and communities across the state.