First Regular Session
               Seventieth General Assembly
                    STATE OF COLORADO
                                                 INTRODUCED
                                                           
                                                           
 LLS NO. 15-0629.01 Richard Sweetman x4333HOUSE BILL 15-1127
                    HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
 Klingenschmitt, Becker J., Brown, Dore, Joshi, Lebsock, Lundeen, Navarro, Ransom, Tate,
 Thurlow, Van Winkle, Vigil
 
                   SENATE SPONSORSHIP
 Garcia, Jahn, Lambert, Lundberg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 House Committees
 Senate Committees
 
 
 State, Veterans, & Military Affairs
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                         A BILL FOR AN ACT
       Concerning reducing civil liability for businesses that
            permit the carrying of concealed handguns.
       
       
                           Bill Summary
       
            (Note:  This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
       not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
       passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
       applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
       http://www.leg.state.co.us/billsummaries.)
       
            An owner or operator of a place of business that makes its
       premises available to the public is not liable for damages in any civil
       action that are alleged to have occurred as a result of the place of business
       adopting a policy that allows the carrying of a concealed handgun by a
       person who possesses a permit to do so.
       
       
       
       Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
            SECTION 1.  Legislative declaration. (1)  The general assembly
       hereby finds that:
            (a)  Many businesses in the state prohibit the carrying of handguns
       on their premises, regardless of whether a person possesses a valid permit
       to carry a concealed handgun;
            (b)  Such policies prevent law-abiding people from being able to
       defend themselves and others in the event of a random assault or other act
       of violence; and
            (c)  Although such policies are permissible under current law, with
       this act the general assembly wishes to create an incentive for businesses
       to allow responsible concealed handgun permittees to carry concealed
       handguns on their premises, so as to create the potential for an armed
       response to a random assault or other act of violence, which armed
       response may reduce or prevent the infliction of death or serious injuries
       upon innocent victims.
            SECTION 2.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 13-21-128 as
       follows:
            13-21-128.  Immunity from civil liability - places of business
       that permit the carrying of firearms. (1)  An owner or operator of
       a place of business that makes its premises available to the
       public is not liable for damages in any civil action that are
       alleged to have occurred as a result of the place of business
       adopting a policy that allows the carrying of a concealed
       handgun by a person who possesses a permit issued pursuant to
       section 18-12-206, C.R.S., on the premises of the place of business.
            (2)  The immunity described in subsection (1) of this section
       for owners and operators of certain places of business does not
       affect the liability of any other owner or operator of a place of
       business or diminish any rights that may be afforded to such an
       owner or operator under existing law.
            SECTION 3.  Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
       takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
       ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August
       5, 2015, if adjournment sine die is on May 6, 2015); except that, if a
       referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the
       state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act
       within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect
       unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in
       November 2016 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the
       official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.