March 19, 2026 · State, Veterans, & Military Affairs · 10,746 words · 15 speakers · 86 segments
Over the past few years, 3D printing technology has grown far more affordable, advanced, and accessible. As a result, 3D printed firearms pose a growing and rapidly evolving threat to the safety of people across Colorado. This is because, like other kinds of ghost guns, 3D printed firearms lack serial numbers, so they are untraceable and require no background check. This makes 3D printing technology particularly attractive to bad actors like gun traffickers because they can print dozens of firearms and avoid raising alarms. In 2023, Colorado enacted essential legislation to ban ghost guns, which included a specific prohibition on 3D printing of frames and receivers. That was Senate Bill 23-279, passed the House with 46 votes, passed the Senate with 20 votes. So why is something like this necessary? It's because while that one prohibits 3D printing of frames and receivers, which are the core building blocks of most firearms, The law does not explicitly prohibit the 3D printing of firearms themselves. This is a problem that we've gotten into on the gun violence prevention legislation that we have been bringing forth here at the state capitol for the last decade. We don't have a partner on this matter. The minority party hasn't been a partner with us on this. the gun industry has not been a partner with us on this. When we have done things about different types of firearms, then what they promote is making the barrel a half an inch shorter, and so it doesn't conform into the legislation that we have. Thus, they say that's a good firearm or the handle grip or something along those lines. That's why legislation like this has to explicitly clarify that it extends beyond the frames and the receivers to firearms in this that is illegal to print any firearm. And again, in the 3D printing of these, these firearms look completely different than anything that we have seen before. Yet they still have the killing capacity that what we are used to and have been used to for decades. And that might seem like something kind of minor, but the gap in our state and our statute threatens the safety of all Coloradans. I mean, because the fact of the matter is that more guns don't make us safer. And that's what the industry and the acolytes of the industry continue to talk about, is that we need more guns. And that clearly is not the case. What they are doing is sowing this fear amongst our population so that they can sell more guns. So we need to close this necessary loophole, adding the new prohibition of the 3D printing on firearm components, including unfinished frames and receivers, large capacity magazines, and rapid fire devices. All these components are already prohibited under current law So this is something that we need to make sure is happening We already banned high magazines We did that nearly 14 years ago. The rapid-fire clips, those we have banned. We need to make sure that that's in this law and that it's being enforced. But it doesn't apply. To make it clear, you can still print replacement parts. for a serialized frame or receiver that you have. You're still able to do that. You can still print toys if that is what you want. Replicas, you can still do that. You just can't make the ones that actually will work and that we have been finding at crime scenes and that people have been using taking their own lives. So with that, I'll pass it over, and I ask for an aye vote on Bill 1144.
Senator Wallace. Thank you, Mr. Chair and committee members, for your consideration of House Bill 1144. I want to start by sharing my gratitude for my co-prime sponsor, Senator Sullivan, for his years of effort in this fight to end the epidemic of gun violence in our state. It's an honor to serve with you, sir, and to stand beside you in this fight today. We come before you with this reform because we are tired of the needless loss in our state caused by gun violence. This legislation is an intervention in that violence and in the growing threat of 3D-printed firearms. In Colorado, a life is lost to firearms every nine hours. That's three Coloradans lost every single day. Three Coloradans ripped away from their families and friends and communities through suicide or murder or the mere incidental deadliness of guns. And on our state's worst days, mass shootings grow that number to devastating heights. In 2022, the Club Q shooter fatally shot five people and wounded 19 others with weapons built using primarily ghost gun components. We saw these weapons at the East High School shooting in 2023. We saw them in 2025 in multiple criminal narcotics and gang investigations. We are, in fact, seeing this growing threat each and every day. Colorado had nearly 90% more ghost guns recovered in 2022 and 2023 compared to the prior five years combined. This bill expands upon existing law, as my copri mentioned, by prohibiting 3D printing of unfinished frames and receivers, as well as already illegal components like rapid-fire devices and high-capacity magazines that can be easily turned into completed weapon components. While we removed the provision around possession of instructional printing files, we kept the critical ban on the dissemination of these files. In short, this bill helps ensure that Colorado's gun safety laws are not undermined by the growing technology threat that can be utilized by anyone with ill intention, an internet connection, and access to one of the many affordable or publicly available 3D printers. This bill will help decrease deadly domestic violence. It will help decrease suicides. It will make our schools and our movie theaters and our grocery stores safer. And hopefully, it will help restore a sense of security within our public spaces and amongst one another. Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to the conversation.
Thank you, sponsors. Members of the committee, do we have any questions for our sponsors before we begin the witness testimony phase? All right. I am seeing no questions at this time. Thank you very much. We'll move on to the witness testimony phase. First up we have proponents Today we going to do two minutes per person on the witness testimony phase panels of somewhere between four and six people and five minutes of questions Our first panel will include Allison Schiff, Kathy Hagan, Charlotte Meredith, Pat Rotschafer, Arjun Patel, and Laura Ford. All right. First, we're going to go online to Allison, and then we will do our in-person witnesses. So, Allison, please begin. You have two minutes.
Good morning. I'm Allison Shi, Senior Counsel at Everytown. Thank you for allowing me to testify today in support of this bill, which is critical legislation to ensure that Colorado law remains up to date to protect against the public safety risks posed by emerging 3D printing technologies. This bill will provide basic updates to Colorado's ghost guns law, which this legislature passed three years ago. The ghost guns law prohibited the unlicensed manufacture of frames and receivers, including through 3D printing. This bill clarifies and expands on the 2023 law by explicitly prohibiting the unlicensed 3D printing of firearms, as well as unfinished frames and receivers and illegal accessories, specifically high capacity magazines and rapid fire devices. This bill also would regulate the digital code that makes possible the 3D printing of firearms and firearm components by prohibiting the transfer of those files to non-licensed individuals. These files have only one purpose, and that's to tell printers how to print firearms or illegal components. It's critical to ensure that no one can evade Colorado law, and only licensed manufacturers can 3D print firearms and firearm components. This bill will ensure that Colorado law enforcement can hold accountable bad actors who seek to evade the 2023 law and other federal and state laws regarding background checks, serialization, and manufacture and sale regulations. This bill would ensure law enforcement can hold accountable individuals in Colorado who attempt to illegally 3D print firearms and also hold accountable bad actors that have been distributing these digital instructional files. Organized online communities have taken advantage of the legal gray area around these files to develop a sophisticated infrastructure to make these files simultaneously increasingly more deadly and increasingly more available. The widespread availability of these digital design files makes it easy for unlicensed individuals in Colorado to illegally manufacture firearms at home in violation of state law. This bill will allow Colorado law enforcement to step in and regulate the distribution of these files and ultimately make Colorado communities safer. So I want you to vote yes.
Thank you very much for your testimony, Ms. Shee. We will start from my right in person. So I believe Pat, please state your name, who you're representing. You have two minutes.
Thank you. My name is Pat Rothschaffer, and my words today are my own. My daughter Christy was shot and killed by an angry young man with a gun during an argument on May 30, 2003. As a result of this, I am critically concerned about gun violence reduction in Colorado and in the United States. In 2023, as was just mentioned, the Colorado legislature passed SB 23-279 to ban unserialized firearms and firearm components, ghost guns. That bill made it illegal to possess, manufacture, or sell these ghost guns. Since then technology has advanced significantly and firearms and firearm components can be made with 3D printers no serial numbers no tracing no tracking and anyone with a 3D printer with the necessary CAD files those are the computer files can print one My son-in-law has a 3D printer. A few weeks ago I was at their house, and my grandson, aged 8, showed me how easy it is to print something. You just need the command for it to put into the computer, and there you go, voila. Imagine a world where an 8-year-old can make his or her own handgun parts and then put it together. And my grandson's a whiz at putting things together. This sends chills down my spine. There are websites where a person can obtain these computer files necessary to give the 3D printer the instructions to print a handgun. In 2018, the New Jersey Attorney General defended a lawsuit claiming First Amendment rights of free speech. You will hear about free speech today. In July 2023, the New Jersey Attorney General was upheld, and the First Amendment claim was denied. As technology expands, we must also expand our laws. This seems obvious to me. I ask that you pass HB 261144 to make Colorado safer.
Thank you very much for your testimony. We'll continue down the line from my right. Sir, please state your name, who you're representing. You have two minutes.
Thank you so much. I'm Arjun Patel. I'm from Regis Jesuit High School. I'm a junior and a member of Students Demand Action. I'm testifying because I've never experienced gun violence firsthand, but at this rate I feel like it's going to change because my entire life I didn't really worry about it. There were distant acquaintances who had, but nothing to cause worry for me. But then two years ago I met Carter Ferris, an STA leader, who introduced me to third-degree gun violence where I hadn't really experienced it, but like a know someone who knows someone type of situation. And then last year, I met someone who goes to Evergreen and was there at the school shooting, and he was okay, luckily. But without passage of legislation, I just feel like with the progression of numbers, first degree is next, and that kind of scares me. And my experience just leads me to emphasize stopping progression of technology's ability to assist in evil. This pattern emerges in everything where in this day and age, some innovation makes something profoundly easy to do. And it's awesome because typically that's progress, but I feel like 3D printing guns is not progress at all. So I'm worried about how easy it's becoming to commit acts of violence. I can name, like you were talking about, 10 3D printers that I have access to, and so do plenty of other people. And the fact that that means that we're all able to just print a gun, a lethal weapon, with the pull of a trigger is astounding to me. And so I urge the members of the committee to vote yes on House Bill 1144. Thank you.
Thank you very much for your testimony. Ma'am, please state your name. Who you're representing, you have two minutes.
Thank you. My name is Laura Ford, and I'm speaking for myself today. I'm a resident of Evergreen, Colorado, and I'm speaking in favor of HB 1144. for. Over the last two months, I've observed several legislative hearings, and I've appreciated the hard work you all do as legislators to identify and avoid unintended consequences. In prior hearings, I've heard many thoughtful, challenging questions about how proposed legislation might unintentionally harm someone who is not the primary target beneficiary of a bill. And as someone with over 20 years of experience working in technology, I would like to speak a bit about how we as technologists consider unintended consequences, or what we might call unplanned or unanticipated use in the context of building software, hardware, and services. Many technologists build hardware and software because they love helping people. I personally love finding someone who has a problem that needs to be solved and delivering a solution that delights them. Around 10 years ago, I interviewed with a 3D printing company. During my interview, the CEO enthusiastically showed me how his printer could create a candle holder and a coaster. He was so excited about enabling a whole new generation of makers and artists, I feel quite confident that if I reached out to this CEO and asked if he foresaw that the printer he first envisioned over 15 years ago would now be used to create unserialized, untraceable firearms and firearm accessories at scale, he would call this, to put it mildly, an unintended consequence of the technology he built. One way that we as technologists avoid unintended consequences is by complying with regulatory requirements. I spent five years building software for oncology practices in patients, and though it was sometimes burdensome and time-consuming, I overall appreciated that regulatory guardrails prevented me from causing unintentional harm to patients. I view 1144 as a reasonable expansion of existing restrictions on 3D printing to prevent illegal firearms. Thank you.
Thank you very much. Ma'am, please state your name. Who are you representing? You have two minutes.
Hi, I'm Kathy Hagan from Erie, and I'm representing Moms Demand Action. A decade ago, I read a book about a criminal using 3D-printed firearms. At the time, it felt like science fiction. Today, it is our reality. As 3D-printing technology has become more sophisticated, these 3D-printed guns are now just as deadly as the firearms bought in a store. Anyone, including minors, felons, and violent criminals, can purchase an inexpensive 3D printer and digital blueprints and create a lethal weapon. These firearms pose a direct threat to our public safety. Colorado law enforcement has increasingly found 3D printed guns at crime scenes. They have also dismantled illegal manufacturing operations. Just last year, two men in Colorado Springs were arrested for creating and shipping hundreds of 3D-printed Glock switches across the country. These switches are designed to turn semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic weapons. In 2023, an East High School student used a 3D-printed handgun to injure two administrators and then kill himself. With the progress made with the 2024 ghost gun law, this bill is critical to enable law enforcement to hold accountable people who illegally manufacture 3D printed unfinished frames and receivers, high capacity magazines, and rapid fire devices. This bill also prohibits the digital file distribution used to create them. In the House committee hearing, there was a question of whether prohibiting the distribution of this computer code violates the First Amendment. The Third Circuit, U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals just recently affirmed that purely functional code, like the files used here, does not receive First Amendment protection. Technology moves fast, but our laws must keep up. By banning the 3D manufacture of these firearms and distribution of digital instructional code, you are sending a clear message. Colorado will not allow access to untraceable weapons that traumatize our communities. Please pass this bill.
Please wrap up.
I also have the Third Circuit Court of Appeals if anybody interested in the decision Thank you very much for your testimony and for being here today Members of the committee do we have any questions for this panel
All right, I am seeing no questions. Thank you all very much for your testimony. We appreciate you being here today. Next up, we will go to our one panel of signed-up opposition. We have Alicia Garcia, Daniel Finlayson, and is there anyone in the room that would like to testify against this bill? If anyone is in the room who would like to testify against this bill, please come on up and take a seat. This is our one panel of signed up opposition. All right, I am seeing no one in the room, so we'll go online to Mr. Finlayson. Daniel, if you're here and you can hear us, please unmute. You have two minutes.
Thank you so much, Chair. My name is Daniel Finnelson. I'm the Director of Operations for the Colorado State Shooting Association, and I am a school shooting survivor. This bill, as I've stated in previous testimonies, does nothing to address the violence that we're all working to work against, and it's just simply built to punish those of us who want to legally and effectively exercise our Second Amendment rights. It would not stop the school shooting that I survived. It would not stop the Aurora shooting. It would not stop the Parkland shooting. None of the shootings that we're going to hear about trying to prevent would be stopped by this. We've seen that there are successful policies that can prevent gun violence, and yet this legislature continues to not explore or to work towards those solutions. Those solutions are good people with firearms to meet evil with lethal force. Senator Sullivan, in his initial statements, talked about how we think that more guns are the solutions and more guns are not the solution. People who are well-trained with firearms are the solutions. And that is what our group advocates for. More guns in the right hands is what exactly is needed. This bill does not do anything to punish the gun traffickers, as Senator Sullivan suggested, because those gun traffickers are already breaking the law. What you're doing is you're creating a legal nightmare for people who want to exercise their Second Amendment rights from being able to do so. It is already illegal to create a firearm that's not unserialized here in the state of Colorado. It is already illegal to commit violence with a firearm here in the state of Colorado. It is already illegal to murder someone here in the state of Colorado. What you guys need to do is be able to enforce and go after criminals instead of trying to go after law-abiding responsible gun owners like myself, who are the most law-abiding citizen group here in the state, including those who are in law enforcement. So why don't you actually pursue real legislation that actually produces results instead of just going back to Bloomberg's money to try to get real money?
Please wrap up. All right. Thank you for your testimony, sir. Members of the committee, do we have any questions for this witness? Oh. All right. Welcome to the table. Please state your name, who you're representing. You have two minutes.
I apologize, Senator. It's a busy day here in the Capitol for the Second Amendment. My name is Catching Valentinus of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners. I'm here to speak against this bill because it willfully limits access of firearms from law-abiding citizens. Criminals are already going to get guns. Criminals already have the guns that they're going to use. And if they don they be provided either by our federal government or by other criminals It is their business They will continue to circulate weapons Being able to print a gun does not make someone a criminal. Being able to look at schematics doesn't make someone a criminal. It's creating this classification where if you distribute a picture, or instructions on how to make something. That's not the same as making it. There are plenty of machines and weapons that are dangerous, that you are not banned from owning schematics of. It's only these particular devices that the bill targets. for some reason. So I'm here today to urge the committee to consider voting no on this bill. It would be neat. I don't take it to be likely. But I think that you could surprise Colorado, and you could come back after reexamining this bill, but I don't think you've given enough thought to it. So once again, I urge the committee to vote no.
Thank you for your testimony, Mr. Valentine. Valentinus, you are not signed up, so please go and sign on the QR code on your way out. But thank you. Okay, very good. Members of the committee, that concludes the opposition panel. Do we have questions? I see some. Senator Pelton.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is for Mr. Fenlison. In Senator Sullivan's open remarks, he referenced rapid fire clips. I've got quite a little knowledge around firearms, and I've never heard of a rapid fire clip. What can you tell me about that?
Mr. Finlayson. Thank you for the question, Senator. Rapid fire clips does not exist. It's a clear indication that Senator Sullivan and the other authors of this bill know very little about firearms or what their intended purposes are.
I'm going to interrupt here. Let's not impugn any motives or assume any knowledge from the sponsors.
Please continue your answer. Okay. Well, creating a device and stating that we need this bill in order to stop that device from being prevalent shows that this bill does not have the knowledge base that's required to pass. And so it's not something that's real. It's not something that exists. It sounds like something that's made to fear monger. And it's really disappointing to see that legislation is being written on the basis of a fictional piece of equipment.
Additional questions. Senator Pelton, you have a follow-up?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. To kind of continue along, the last panel there were several references about how the Third Circuit upheld an earlier ruling. I tend to think that this violates the First, Second, maybe even the Fifth Amendments. What can you tell me of what your understanding of that is?
Mr. Finkelson. Thank you again for the question. And obviously, this is a clear violation of the Second Amendment. And that's something we will argue in court if this legislature decides to pass this asinine bill. And, you know, the third district was mentioned when it comes to the First Amendment. That ruling said specifically that the code that it was looking at was purely functional with no artistic expression or political discourse. And so there clearly opening up the path for anyone who would put any kind of artistic or design into the firearm pieces that they be manufacturing here Anything from simple rhetoric such as gun control laws lead to more mass shootings or things of that nature, would easily clear that opposition in that third district. And it even went on to say that it was unsure on how other code applying to other firearms would be affected by this. And so that Third Circuit ruling I discussed with our lawyers in-house, they think it's prime for a challenge, one that we look forward to bringing to the state of Colorado. And lastly, this specific bill violates the interstate commerce sections of our law. And so I think that that's also prime for a lawsuit there. We have three different ways that this law is unconstitutional. And that last one is one that was not tested in the Third Circuit and would be tested in a lawsuit if this legislature is illogical enough to pass this bill, again, to prevent fictional devices from being onto our streets.
Senator Zumwara Wilson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Finlayson, are you familiar with the New Jersey ruling?
Mr. Finlayson. Absolutely. And that New Jersey ruling specifically was very weak and very pointed towards the specific case saying that the code was just sheer functional instead of artistic expressions. And that's where, again, when we see designs coming out of Colorado gun manufacturers, including several based here in the state and several based in Senator Sullivan's district, obviously that are going to be pressured to be put out of business from this bill, which may be a motive of it.
I'm going to interrupt you there. Let's not impune anyone's motives here in this hearing.
Please continue. The artistic expression was not outlined in that bill. And again, that ruling did not touch on the interstate commerce.
Additional questions. Senator Zamora Wilson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. And this is for Mr. Valentinus. I'm not sure if you heard the opening statement as far as it was mentioned as far as those that love the second amendment is sowing fear to sell more guns I hear that a lot as far as fear but I see a lot of fear from people just look at a gun and are fearful I'm just wondering if you can comment about what you see in the circles as far as the opposition, those that oppose the Second Amendment, if you can elaborate.
Mr. Valentines, and I'm going to remind everyone not to impugn any motives intended or not,
so please answer the question. The culture of fear fostered by the General Assembly towards and around guns, is a juxtaposition of the philosophy by which the Second Amendment was founded. Firearms were afforded to our citizens because guns allow good people to stop bad people. What this General Assembly has done and what many who have testified have done is they've directed a great amount of fear towards those who possess firearms to stop bad people. Bad people are always going to have guns, and that is a fact. And so understanding that is something that many folks who are proponents of bills like these
refuse to acknowledge. All right, that concludes our time for this panel. We're out of time. Yeah, five minutes is up. Thank you all for being here. We do appreciate your testimony. We'll move on to the next panel. Our next panel includes Eileen McCarron, Stephanie Greenberg, Nora Krause, Elise Mueller, Ellen Mahoney, and Frankie Wyckoff. Stephanie Greenberg and Frankie Whitcoff should be remote. All right, while we're pulling the remote witnesses up online, we will start with our in-person folks from my right. So, ma'am, please state your name. Who you're representing, you have two minutes.
Hi, my name is Nora Krause, and I'm here today to urge the support of this bill. I'm a senior at East High School and the co-president of our Students Demand Action Chapter, and I'm testifying on behalf of Everytown. This is the 16th bill I have testified on in the past four years, and I am grateful for the opportunity to tell my story. I would also like to note that as a senior, while I do have incredible senioritis, my ditch days are spent here at the Capitol and not anywhere else like most seniors. I also would like to note that over 20 students from East did submit written testimony for today because they were unable to be here. I am testifying because on March 22, 2023, a 17-year-old student shot and injured two of our deans at East. The weapon used was a 3D printed firearm. I was in the building that day. I remember the lockdown announcement over the loudspeaker. I remember the silence in the auditorium when we realized that this wasn't a drill. And I remember learning later that the gun used in our school wasn't bought at a store. It wasn't something with a serial number that could be traced. It was built, and it was assembled, and it started as a printed frame. That changes how you see things. Because when you realize that someone your age was able to build weapons without meaningful oversight, you realize this isn't about one person's actions. It is about gaps in the system. A teenager should not be able to print a gun component at home, assemble a working firearm, and bring it into a school building. But it is precisely what happened at East High School and is why I'm sitting here today. No student should have to wonder whether someone printed a weapon in their bedroom the night before school. No administrator should have to risk their life to do their job. No community should have to go through what we did. When East students say this bill matters, we are speaking from experience. I urge, encourage members of the committee to vote yes on House Bill 1144.
Right on time. Thank you very much for your testimony. Ma'am, please state your name, who you're representing. You have two minutes.
Thank you. My name is Elise Mueller. I'm a member of Students Demand Action and a student at East High School. Gun violence prevention is of particular importance to me because I've seen the way that it can hurt communities. My brother was present during the 2023 East High School shootings, and as a student of East through the past three years, I have seen firsthand the lasting impact that it has. That's why I'm here today urging the committee to support House Bill 1144 and to address the growing issue of 3D printed firearms and firearm parts in Colorado. It scares me to know that anyone with access to a 3D printer and a computer could create their own fully functional firearm frame that is untraceable as a result of a loophole that enables those who are otherwise prohibited from owning a firearm to obtain one This bill will not take firearms out of the hands of responsible gun owners Rather it will close a dangerous loophole and allow for proper enforcement of our existing laws We are a national leader in gun safety policy, but in order to maintain that position, it's essential that our gun safety laws innovate as technology innovates. Thank you.
Thank you very much for your testimony. May I please state your name? Who you're representing, you have two minutes.
Thank you. I'm Ellen Mahoney, and I represent myself, and I'm in favor of House Bill 2611-44. This Sunday, March 22nd, will mark five years since my husband, Kevin Mahoney, and nine other innocent victims were gunned down at the King's Superstore in Boulder. Some might think, hey, five years, it's time to move on. But when a loved one is so brutally killed, it is not easy, and it's a horrible reflection of humanity. The King's super shooter used a legally purchased firearm that a family member thought looked like, quote, a machine gun. The shooter had the lethal combination of, one, a violent idea to kill people, and two, a deadly weapon. The shooter wasn't stopped in his evil process to get a gun and commit his crime, and his actions resulted in the deaths of 10 good people, including Kevin. So now we're addressing today three-dimensional printers that can print gun parts to build untraceable firearms in one's home. This do-it-yourself technology is becoming more advanced, more affordable, and more accessible. It's a potentially dangerous and deadly threat to the people of Colorado. Do we really need more guns like 3D homemade guns without serial numbers that could kill more people? I don't believe that more guns will help us keep us safer. There are about 350 million people in this country, and there are more guns than there are people. This bill will expand on Colorado's ghost gun law to prohibit the 3D printing of firearms and illegal firearm parts in our state. It will make sure that people who are prohibited from purchasing firearms, such as minors, domestic abusers, and convicted felons, cannot use 3D printers to make untraceable guns. most important this bill will save lives please vote yes on this bill thank you very much for
your testimony i am very sorry for your loss ma'am please state your name who you're representing you have two minutes
good morning i am eileen mccarran and i speak today for colorado ceasefire in support of house Bill 1144. In the 1967 movie The Graduate, the character portrayed by young Dustin Hoffman is given career advice in just one word, plastics. Little did we realize then how plastics would dominate our world, both for good and ill. Now plastics have become an essential material in a lethal menace, 3D-printed guns. In the gun trauma that afflicts our state, we have made great strides in reducing access to firearms by prohibited persons, such as felons, domestic violence abusers. Unfortunately, each time we take positive steps, there are those who wish to circumvent our laws, as is the case with 3D receivers Certainly no law gun owner could be opposed to this proposal which does not impinge on their gun rights And why would any person desire for it to be easier for criminals to access firearms? This bill provides greater enforcement of the 2023 ghost gun ban by adding the prohibitions on the 3D printing. Lest you think it can't happen And here it already has. Crimes in Colorado Springs and Aurora were related to such guns and accessories. And in the last 1.5 years, CBI itself has seized 100 ghost guns. Plastics, he said. The career advice was prescient. Let us also be forward-thinking and ban this circumventing of our laws so that our homes, streets, and gathering places don't become sites of deadly violence. Please vote yes.
Thank you very much for your testimony. Next we'll go online to Dr. Greenberg. Dr. Greenberg, you have two minutes. Please state who you're representing as well.
Thank you very much. Can you hear me? We can hear you loud and clear. Great. Thank you. And good morning. My name is Stephanie Greenberg. I'm a volunteer with Colorado Faith Communities United in Gun Violence, CFCU, and is strongly in support of HB 261144. It's vital that ghost guns are banned in Colorado because they allow people to bypass background checks and are untraceable. Since 2023, the Colorado law that's been referred to a number of times here this morning prohibits the 3D printing of firearm finished frames and receivers. This bill, HB 1144, is an extension of the law to reflect the dramatic increase in the use of 3D printers to produce unserialized firearms. The bill includes firearms as well as unfinished frames and receivers that can be readily turned into finished frames and receivers to build functional firearms. The bill also expands the ban on 3D printing to high-capacity magazines and rapid-fire devices, which are illegal in Colorado. It is common sense that only licensed manufacturers should be able to manufacture firearms, not just anyone with access to a 3D printer. In 2022, the federal ATF adopted a rule interpreting the Gun Control Act of 1968 to cover weapon parts kits that are, quote, designed to or may readily be converted to expel a projectile, end quote, as well as frames and receivers. That rule was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in its decision rendered in March 2025. The recent increase in gun manufacture with 3D printers, so this new technology requires new regulation. This bill's fiscal note indicates, while there is no fiscal note, because it will have minimal impact on state revenue and needs no appropriation to benefit the taxpayers of Colorado. Thank you very much for your time and attention.
Thank you very much for your testimony. Members of the committee, that concludes this panel. Do we have any questions for these witnesses?
Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you all for being here. The students, of course, I'm sorry that you have to be here, and I thank you for reminding us how close the day is to when you guys had your first of several shootings that you had at your school And Mrs Mahoney thank you so much for being here I can only tell you how important it is that the people down here get to see you, get to hear you, and they can't look away. because, again, it was five years ago and this all happened. And, again, as hard as it is, it's just so important for you to be down here and for those of us who've been impacted like this, even though it's going to cause all kinds. I mean, talking about fear and I'm not, quite frankly, not fair. I mean, I had a stalker outside of my door of my office the other day. I mean, they know exactly where I am and where I'm going to be. I mean, here it is. You know I'm going to be here right now. He made a point to let me know that he was a Republican and that he was one of the ones who is constantly calling and emailing and threatening me and had a packet of information all about the red flag petitions that have been filed against him. And, of course, it's all my fault, as you heard the acolytes earlier again claim that this is all my fault. But I appreciate you all being there. I'm not going away. I know you're going to have to continue to work with us and fight this fight. And they're incredibly fearful that we're winning. So keep it up. Thank you. Thank you all for being here. I appreciate it.
We'll move on to our next panel of witnesses. Tom Wilson in person. Carolyn Shepard in person. Lori Odom in person. Julie Ort in person. And then remotely we have Alicia Smith, Kimberly Carroll, and Frankie Wyckoff. All right. And while we're pulling up folks online, we will start in person from my right. So, ma'am, please state your name, who you're representing. You have two minutes. Thank you.
My name is Julie Ord. I live in Douglas County, and I support this bill. For years, gun rights groups have championed the plight of the local gun shop owner, while law enforcement and the ATF have relied on FFL regulations to combat criminal gun dealing and enable crime gun tracing. And yet with AI innovation, 3D firearm printing could bypass the very foundation of how some guns are manufactured, distributed, and sold within the U.S. We already have evidence of felons to 14-year-olds arrested for the production of 3DPFs with criminal intent, not to mention a dangerous online community fomenting the trade of gun cad files that glorify violence against the police and vulnerable groups. Second Amendment purists often insist that accountability must take the form of punishment only when and if firearms are misused. but that is small consolation when a mother and her children are shot and killed by a partner already convicted of domestic violence for the parents of children murdered by their child's underage but tech savvy classmate or any community threatened by a mentally unwell individual who tried to successfully to legally purchase a firearm, but now can print one? Will this stop every 3DPF shooting? No. But with established law to cite and criminal and civil penalties delineated, a concerned citizen can prevent a person from selling a 3DPF gun frames on Facebook. A parent who now realizes that they can be held criminally accountable for their child's access to a firearm might nix or closely monitor that Amazon purchase of a 3D printer and prevent a school shooting. Laws on the books set expectations and consequences before a crime is committed. And let's be real. There is no punishment for a shooter in a murder-suicide, just pain and suffering for the survivors who will forever wonder why we did nothing to prevent this. Please support this bill.
Thank you very much for your testimony. Ma'am, welcome to the committee hearing. Please state your name, who you're representing. You have two minutes. Thank you.
My name is Carolyn Shepard, and I speak for myself today in support of House Bill 261144. I have family members in Colorado Springs who retired there from the Air Force who are still traumatized by the Club Q shootings where the shooter used firearms built with ghost gun components. As a physician, I'm also interested in this bill of its potential health impact. Last year, 77% of suicides in Colorado were adult males aged 25 to 65. Of these 1,005 men, only one-third disclosed their intent. About the same number, one-third, had been receiving any mental health services. This demographic was true of suicide in my medical practice. If we apply these numbers to 2026, we can expect that at least half of all the struggling, disaffected Coloradans who are going to commit suicide this year are men who are not telling anyone. Not their family, not their therapist, and not their best friend, whether they have a gun or not. Delaying access to firearms, including do-it-yourself 3D plans and components, will delay and perhaps help prevent people of all ages from being able to take that last impulsive act on their suicidal ideation. I believe you and we can help slow them down by voting yes. Thank you.
Thank you very much for your testimony. Sir, please state your name, who you're representing. You have two minutes.
Yes, my name is Tom Wilson. Is the microphone on there? It should be on the stem. My name is Tom Wilson. I'm representing myself. Thank you very much for the opportunity to present testimony for Bill HB 261144, Prohibit 3D Printing Firearms and Components. My wife and I live in Aurora. We have two grown sons, lovely daughters-in-law, and three adorable grandchildren. I'm offering testimony today in support of this bill because these do-it-yourself weapons pose a serious threat to my grandkids and fellow Coloradans. This bill will expand upon Colorado's ghost gun laws to include a ban on 3D printing, unfinished frames, and receivers. These components can readily be turned into finished pieces with minimal effort using common household tools. At this point, it's a cinch to create a fully functional firearm through a 3D printer. This bill also prohibits the possession with intent to distribute instructional files that train machines how to print firearms frames and receivers And that is a grave concern These DIY firearms increase risk to the public by undermining background checks required rating periods, and enabling unregulated weapon production. My concern is the speed of today's technology tips the scale, dramatically curbing the enforceability of gun regulation. What's more, these weapons are untraceable and harder to detect. 3D printed guns should be banned because they create public safety risks that existing gun laws were not designed to handle. This weakens the entire legal framework meant to keep guns out of the hands of people legally prohibited from owning them. Colorado should expand upon and ensure the effective enforcement of Unserialized Firearms and Components Act. Taking this significant step will protect Coloradoans from the perils of 3D printed DIY firearms and illegal accessories. Please vote yes on HB 261144. Do it for my three grandchildren and my fellow Coloradans. Thank you.
Thank you very much for your testimony. We'll go online to Ms. Carroll. Ms. Carroll, please state your name, who you're representing. You have two minutes.
Hello. My name is Kim Carroll. I'm from Parker, and I'm testifying on behalf of myself. I wish I could be there in person, but I have been sidelined, but my family is calling the Colorado crud. We have passed it along like many Colorado families right now. I am speaking in favor of this bill. As usual, I always think I know exactly what my testimony will be, and then something hit me, and I pivot a little. I was all set to talk about keeping up with the technology, how unsettling it is to know that children, who we all want to keep safe, now have the know-how and the 3D printers necessary to print guns in their basement. And then I watched the Oscars. Yep, the Oscars. I honestly hadn't seen many of the movies that were nominated, but I had seen a few documentaries. Empty Rooms won for documentaries, and my first reaction was great. This will raise knowledge about how parents and families suffer when they lose a child to gun violence. More people will join the national movement to pass common-sense gun violence legislation, which I believe this bill is. In case you didn't see it, this documentary shows the rooms of children who had been killed by gun violence. These rooms have been left exactly as they were when the children died. The parents showed these rooms to raise awareness. It is heartbreaking. My next thought was, wow, I was just momentarily happy that this won. So people don't forget Uvalde, Sandy Hook, STEM School, Columbine, the list goes on. This documentary shouldn't have needed to exist if we as a nation, as humans, did our job to stop gun violence. This bill is a tool to help do that. Please pass this bill.
Thank you very much. Next up is Frankie Wyckoff. Frankie, please state your name, who you're representing. You have two minutes. Are you there, Frankie? Hearts Index, I believe that's you. All right. Hello? Yeah, we can hear you. Please begin.
Good afternoon, Chair and Committee members. My name, and thank you for having me, I am in support of Bill HB 261144 my name is Frankie Wyckoff I am the mother of Damien and Dylan Wyckoff Both were murdered August 23rd 2020 During the pandemic, they had stepped up and were essential workers, help providing for the family. Like many teenagers, they were impulsive. Sorry, I'm a little nervous. I was up all night.
You're doing great.
please continue my sons were killed after a polymer 80 ghost gun kit was shipped to them by US Patriot Armory a weapon that should never have that they should never have had access to I have the box I have receipts I have bank statements I have the product itself that was delivered after the fact that they were murdered the DA or the public defender in Lakewood Colorado has another ghost gun now this has disrupted so many people's lives I suffer from agoraphobia because my brain tells me nowhere is safe post-traumatic stress disorder as well as my family their friends and the whole community from a federally licensed gun shop owner selling and shipping guns with no age verification, no background checks, no three-day waiting period. All they needed was a credit card. And this was, I believe, negligence at the highest. It was a direct result of putting guns in children's hands. Instead of asking why the child had the gun, we need to ask why the federally licensed gun dealer put the gun in the child's hand. And I am in support of this bill. I thank you very much.
Thank you very much, Ms. Wyckoff. I am so, so sorry for your loss. Thank you for being here today. Members of the committee, this concludes this panel of witnesses. Do we have any questions? Senator Sullivan.
Well, thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you all for coming. Wyckoff, again, I'm so sorry for your loss, and thank you for finding the strength and courage to come and explain that to everybody. It's something that they all should hear, maybe a story they didn't know about and were unfamiliar with. So that's what it takes is for you. I mean, we have been told that that will never happen in these gun stores here in the state of Colorado, that they're all law-abiding and they would never do anything like that to endanger our children or our families. And you're a living example of that. I would ask, Ms. Shepard, in your data recovery that you did there on suicides, did you have that breaking down? You told us what a high percentage of suicides in the state of Colorado are done with firearms. Did you also have the breakdown of the urban and the rural numbers? Dr. Shepard.
Thank you I do have it nationally I don have it for Colorado Nationally 19 is urban 28 of gun owners in suburban areas and 46 of people in rural areas are gun owners Is that your question And so yeah okay 46 of rural members have firearms
and the suicides, then, that are predominantly in the rural areas as opposed to— It's high.
Especially for the older men. It's happening more. Over 65 in rural areas and vets are at the top of suicide rates in this state.
Additional questions? I am seeing no additional questions. Thank you all very much for being here and for your testimony. It does matter a lot to us to hear these stories. Next up is our final panel of signed-up witnesses. We have Terry Busey, Robert Gallagher, Lucy Lee, Carter Ferris, and Charlotte Meredith. It's a mix of remote and in-person witnesses. I'll do it one more time. Terry Busey, Robert Gallagher, Lucy Lee, Carter Ferris, and Charlotte Meredith. And is there anyone else in person who would like to testify? Come on up, ma'am. I'm sorry, ma'am. Please come on up. All right. Well, while we get the folks online, we'll start with my in-person witnesses here. Please state your name, who you're representing. You have two minutes.
Hi. Good morning. chair and members of the committee. My name is Terry Bessie. I'm here from Colorado Springs. Sorry, still a little fresh. With Mom's Demand Action, I'm a retired paramedic and no stranger to gun violence. While I support the Second Amendment, I also believe strongly in responsible firearm laws. My son Riley James was murdered February 14, 2023, with an illegally obtained conventional firearm. I am here as a mother who has lived with what happens when firearms are easier to get than they are to control. 3D printed firearms make it easier to bypass laws and put more untraceable weapons into our communities. This bill is about preventing such access and protecting other families from census laws. I ask you to pass House Bill 261144. Thank you very much for your testimony.
I am so sorry for your loss. May I please state your name, who you're representing.
You have two minutes. My name is Charlotte Meredith. Good afternoon, Chair Wallace, Vice Chair Sullivan and committee members, thank you for hearing my testimony today. My name is Charlotte Meredith and I am here in an urge to support the committee to support House Bill 1144, a bill to address 3D printed firearms and accessories in our state. Colorado has led on gun safety, passing laws that reflect our values and responsibilities, safety and communities. But technology has helped pass these laws. Allowing people to 3D print illegal guns and illegal accessories undermines every safeguard we've built, making it easier for dangerous individuals to make untraceable, deadly weapons at home. This bill keeps Colorado's gun safety laws effective, ensuring we stay ahead of emerging threats and keep our communities safe. Today, we're asking our state to adopt upgrades to ensure that our laws are capable of compiting dangerous technological change. My generation grew up doing active shooter drills. We learned what lockdown meant before we learned how to drive. We've watched mass shootings unfold on our phones, And for some of us, we've experienced gun violence up close in our own schools and communities. At East High School, gun violence isn't an abstract headline. It's a part of our lived experience. East went through multiple incidents involving gun violence. However, we have the opportunity and ability to end this violence affecting our communities. Passing this bill, we stay ahead of tragedy and protect generations to come. This concludes my testimony for the support of House Bill 1144. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak.
Thank you very much for being here. We appreciate your testimony. Ma'am, please state your name, who you're representing. You have two minutes. Thank you so much. Chair, members of the committee, my name is Marcella Shufflin.
I'm the founder of Justice Care. a civil and human rights policy advocacy organization based in Colorado. I'm a graduate LEND fellow in disability policy, a family caregiver, and a person with lived experience as a caregiving youth. I'm here in strong support of this bill, and I want to thank the bill's sponsors for bringing this bill forward. 3D-printed ghost guns are not a hypothetical threat. They are untraceable by design, no serial number, no background check, no manufacturer liability. When someone is shot with a ghost gun, every system we rely on for accountability breaks down. Law enforcement cannot trace it. Courts cannot pursue a manufacturer. And the family left behind cannot recover a single dollar from a supply chain that never existed on paper. Colorado already knows the cost of gun violence, $11.7 billion a year. That's about $2,000 per resident. But those numbers obscure who actually pays. It's the spouse who becomes a full-time caregiver. The child who loses a parent who was the breadwinner. domestic violence survivor whose abuser now has access to a weapon that leaves no paper trail. It's the Jewish congregation, the Muslim community center, the immigrant family targeted by a shooter who built his weapon in a garage. Family members have become caregivers following a shooting and are forced to forego educational opportunities, professional advancement, and economic independence. These are not temporary disruptions. They are lifetime recalibrations that compound across generations, and they are invisible in every cost model that focuses only on the wounded individuals. Families of law enforcement, security workers, and veterans know this burden personally. Over half of surviving spouses of officers killed in the line of duty develop PTSD. Federal survivor benefits take years to arrive, and one in three claims is now denied. When the weapon used cannot be traced, investigations stall, prosecutions weaken, and every one of those families is left with fewer answers and less justice. Ghost guns make every outcome worse because they remove the one thing accountability requires, a traceable origin. Gun violence is one of the largest unacknowledged causes of acquired disability in this country.
Please wrap up.
Yeah, I want to say thank you so very much.
Thank you very much for your testimony. We'll go online to Lucy Lee. Ms. Lee, please state your name, who you're representing.
You have two minutes. Thank you. My name is Lucy, and I'm a constituent in Colorado representing myself. And my son is also here, so apologies for any background noise. Good afternoon, committee members and fellow Coloradans. A 2025 report from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives shows that ghost guns are increasingly turning up at crime scenes. Law enforcement recovered more than 90,000 ghost guns nationwide from 2017 to 2023. Ghost guns have also been used in high-profile shootings in Colorado, including the 2022 mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs and the 2023 shooting at East High School in Denver I urging you all to please vote yes on House Bill 26 This common sense bill will save lives. Second Amendment constitutional rights would be protected under this bill. The bill includes a carve out for federally licensed firearm manufacturers who would still be allowed to 3D print guns and parts. It would also allow people to possess the digital code or instructions to 3D print firearms if they intend to distribute them through a licensed gun manufacturer. Additionally, First Amendment constitutional rights would also be protected under this bill. A U.S. appeals court ruled just last month in favor of the New Jersey Attorney General over a gun company regarding its distribution of computer code for 3D printed guns, saying that the First Amendment does not protect all forms of computer code as free speech. And just last week, Washington State Legislature passed House Bill 2320 to close the digital loophole that allows untraceable 3D printed firearms to be manufactured without oversight. I am a pro Second Amendment advocate and a First Amendment advocate, just as I am a pro All-27 Amendments advocate because I'm an American. But you lose all of your constitutional rights the second you're shot dead by a ghost gun. Please honor those dead from ghost gun violence and help protect your living constituents by voting yes on House Bill 26-1144. Thank you.
Thank you very much for your testimony and welcome to you and your son at today's hearing. Members of the committee, do we have any questions for this panel of witnesses? All right, I am seeing no questions. Thank you all very much for joining us today. Members, that was the conclusion of the signed-up witnesses. Is there anyone else in the room that would like to testify on this bill? Anyone else in the room? All right. I am seeing no additional witnesses. The witness testimony phase is closed. Sponsors. All right. The amendment phase is open. Our sponsors are at the table. Do you have any amendments, sponsors? We have no amendments. No amendments from the sponsors. Members of the committee, do you have any amendments? Seeing no amendments, the amendments phase is closed. Wrap up. Sponsors, who would like to begin?
Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Mr. Chair and members, for hearing us today. And again, thank you all for coming down and having your voices heard. And I can't reiterate enough how important it is that you come down, that we get to hear from you. And just when I and I have been in these rooms since 2013 hearing this testimony, hearing everybody's different stories, and every time I hear something new, something I hadn't heard before. And I would really hope that the opposition would hear that too They seem to be fixated on the words that come out of my mouth and the things that I put across I really wish they would listen to the impact of others because that is so so important And you need to know that they're out there, that this isn't just a singular event. Again, thank you so much for everybody. Thinking back to when I first started coming here in 2013, never would we have thought that we would be here speaking about ghost guns and 3D printing in 2013. but things change and that causes us to come back here again I told this story after the theater massacre and when they found out that the shooter had been going to a therapist and that she knew about what his plans were and that her bosses and the people at the Anschutz School knew that something like this was going to happen. There was an outrage in this state across the country. If there was something that you knew you were supposed to do something about it, and why didn't you do anything about it? And as I have said, it took us six years here in this General Assembly to get somebody with the courage to bring something like that forward. It took another year for us to be able to get something like that passed, and it took another eight years to get it to the point where medical professionals and their supervisors, organizations that they worked with, had the ability to do something to temporarily remove a firearm from somebody who's going to be a danger to themselves. That took 14 years and three different bills. that's how it is that we've gotten to 34 different pieces of past legislation here in the General Assembly since 2019. I heard recently from the opposition that they were getting killed by a million different cuts because we kept having to bring this kind of issues forward. you heard the stories this is an everyday occurrence in our community this is happening all the time changes and policy that we would have thought about even a couple of years ago I mean here the club Q shooting was in in 2022 it's taken us now until 2026 to do something more about the ghost guns and then we had to pass something the following year to move it into the 3D printing That what we have to do That why we have this conversation all of the time That why we have the people continuing to show up to let this body know how it's impacting them. And that's why, quite frankly, that's why we're here, because they want us to have this conversation and they want us to do something about it. And that's why, again, I would ask for an aye vote. on House Bill 261144.
Senator Wallace. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you, members, for your consideration today. 3D printed weapons are untraceable. And as we've seen from the numerous deadly incidents in our state and as we heard about from survivors and their family members today, these pose a serious threat to public safety and to each one of us. We were recently joined by some of the young people that came to testify today at a Students Demand Action rally here in the Capitol. And I hope that members were able to meet with those young people then, are able to meet with the families or the young people today that came to testify in front of us because I believe we owe them an apology for passing this continuing issue on to them, for not keeping them or their families safer, and for asking them to show up here to beg for their and our lives. We owe them more, so much more, than the reality that we face. So let's send a message today that the safety of our young people, of our senior citizens, of everyone else in our society is more important than the gun industry profits and the politicians who protect them. That our communal protection is worth more than any ideology, lobby, or talking point. Thank you for your consideration today, members, and I ask for an aye vote on House Bill 1144.
Thank you, sponsors. A proper motion would be to the Committee of the Whole. Is there a motion? Senator Wallace.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move House Bill 261144 to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation.
That is a proper motion. Comments? Colleagues, any closing remarks? None?
All right. I will just say as a senator, as a council member, as a representative, I have sat through dozens of these hearings on gun violence prevention, and it never gets easier hearing the stories of survivors. Listening to Ms. Wyckoff today, it was really difficult. And some of these stories just never get easier to hear. I think this bill will reduce gun violence, particularly when it comes to suicides. And I will be a firm yes today, and I am just so appreciative of everyone who came today to testify and share their stories.
With that, please call the roll. Sanders. Peltonar. No. Sullivan.
Aye.
Zamora Wilson. No. Wallace.
Aye.
Mr. Chair. Aye. that passes on a vote of three to two you're on your way to the committee the whole with that we are adjourned