Panel hears wide public comment on bill to standardize ATF eTrace use across Colorado law enforcement

Sponsor (Senator/sponsor) told the committee that HB 12‑65 would formally integrate the ATF’s eTrace firearm-tracing system into Colorado’s uniform crime reporting and require agencies to enroll and, where appropriate, opt into the collective data‑sharing feature. The sponsor said eTrace is provided at no cost to participating agencies, that about 70% of Colorado jurisdictions already use it, and that the bill would require agencies to submit trace information no later than 90 days after recovery.

Public testimony spanned a wide range. Opposition witnesses — including Rocky Mountain Gun Owners and individual commenters — said mandatory participation risks civil‑liberties intrusions and could allow law enforcement to create de facto registries; they also raised concerns about federal involvement and potential costs for small agencies. Several opponents argued that eTrace is already used voluntarily and urged caution before adding state mandates.

Proponents included survivors of gun violence, law‑enforcement advocates and national and local groups such as Giffords and Colorado Ceasefire. Tom Wilson said the system focuses on crime guns, not lawful gun owners, and “helps solve crimes faster by allowing investigators to track a gun and identify any trafficking patterns or straw purchasers.” Becca Ventrella (Giffords) and Lainie Scheffel (Colorado Ceasefire) highlighted that the bill preserves the ability to withhold specific traces to protect ongoing investigations and emphasized limited implementation costs beyond administrative training.

Student testimony noted rural capacity gaps; Raihan Sen, a Mountain Vista High School student and survivor of the STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting, said standardized eTrace use can be a force multiplier for underresourced jurisdictions. Proponents also provided statistics on national trace volumes and noted that fewer than one in five Colorado agencies currently participate in collective data sharing, leaving investigators to work in silos in some cases.

Committee members asked how the program is funded and how access and privacy safeguards would work. Proponents responded that the ATF provides the eTrace service at no cost to participating agencies and that the bill’s language preserves investigative protections and the ability to withhold specific traces when necessary.

The committee took public testimony and posed follow-up questions; no final vote on the bill was recorded on the transcript excerpt provided.