Brady Celebrates Colorado Senate Advancement of Firearms Procurement Bill to Keep Taxpayer Dollars Away from Irresponsible Gun Dealers

SB25-158 would ensure taxpayer dollars used to purchase law enforcement firearms do not go to gun dealers with histories of legal violations and problematic business practices

Washington, D.C., April 17, 2025 – Brady celebrates the passage of landmark legislation (SB25-158) on responsible firearms procurement through the Colorado State Senate and advancing to the House. This legislation addresses a shocking national problem, exposed by a Brady investigation, that law enforcement agencies have spent millions of dollars to buy firearms from dealers and manufacturers with repeated violations of federal firearm regulations.

Currently, like the majority of states, Colorado has no process for vetting firearm businesses before government officials use taxpayer dollars to purchase firearms. This means gun dealers who break the law and fuel gun violence are able to enjoy profits from Colorado tax dollars. For example, an analysis by Brady found that between 2015 and 2024, Colorado state agencies spent over $3.1M at a gun dealer that had a history of over a dozen violations of federal gun laws, including links to gun crimes.

Since Brady exposed the dangerous and rampant problem of irresponsible firearms procurement, several localities have advanced legislation to address the issue. Colorado’s SB25-185 builds upon the growing movement of responsible local procurement legislation that, with Brady’s leadership, has recently passed in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego. 

Brady President Kris Brown said:

This common-sense legislation is a reminder that we have the power to change the gun industry and protect our communities. Believe it or not, American taxpayers are the number one purchaser of firearms in America — and we hold the purse strings. Irresponsible gun dealers who have fueled the gun violence epidemic in our country should never profit from our hard-earned tax dollars. We know money talks. Governments can — and must — use their purchasing power to incentivize safer business practices, changing how the gun industry operates.

This bill can be the first step towards a future where fewer guns make their way into our communities for use in crime, making us all safer.

Now that SB25-158 has passed through the Colorado State Senate, we turn our attention to the State House. We urge Colorado lawmakers to pass this bill into law and protect Colorado communities.