Colorado Bureau of Investigation Firearms InstaCheck Unit Operating Hours

Plain English: This amendment requires the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to process background checks immediately during business hours and accept new requests daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., excluding only Thanksgiving and Christmas.

• The bureau must handle specific background check requests right away while it is open for business, even if other waiting time rules exist.
• The system must be available to receive new background check requests every day of the year between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.

• The text does not define exactly what 'business hours' means for processing times, only that they apply during those periods.
• It is unclear how long delays might occur if the system goes down due to unexpected outages, as this rule says requests must still be accepted despite such issues.

Plain English: This amendment changes the rules for how background checks are handled by removing specific time limits and clarifying when the waiting period starts.

• Removes the requirement that background check requests must be processed only during business hours.

• The amendment text is incomplete because it cuts off mid-sentence, so we cannot fully explain all changes to operating times or outage rules.
• It is unclear exactly how removing the '9 A.M. until 9 P.M.' rule affects daily operations without seeing the full context of the original bill.

Plain English: This amendment would add Easter Day to the list of holidays when the Colorado Bureau of Investigation's background check unit is not required to be open.

• Adds 'Easter Day' as a holiday exception for operating hours.

• The amendment text only shows how to change one specific line and does not explain the full rules or other details of the bill it amends.
• This amendment was marked as 'Lost', meaning it did not pass in this version of the legislation.

Plain English: This amendment would change the law to require the Colorado Bureau of Investigation's background check unit to be open for requests every hour of every day, removing current time limits and holiday exceptions.

• The bill would remove the rule that currently requires the unit to only accept requests between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.

• This amendment was voted down (lost) during its second reading, so it did not become part of the final law.
• The text does not explain how staff or technology would be managed to support a new 24-hour schedule.

Plain English: This amendment would remove a rule that allows the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to skip its required background check hours if there are unexpected system outages.

• The bill currently requires the bureau to be open for background checks every day except Christmas and Thanksgiving, unless an unavoidable computer outage happens.

• This amendment was voted down (lost) in the House of Representatives during its second reading.
• Because the amendment failed, it does not change any laws or rules at this time.

Plain English: This amendment would change the required operating hours for Colorado's background check unit to be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day except Easter, Christmas, and Thanksgiving.

• The bill now requires the bureau to operate between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. instead of just being open for 12 hours total each day.
• Easter Day is added as an official holiday when the background check unit does not need to be open, joining Christmas and Thanksgiving.

• The amendment includes a condition that these new rules only start if a court decides another specific law (Section 18-12-115) is unconstitutional.
• This amendment was marked as 'Lost' during the legislative process, meaning it did not pass and does not change current law.

Plain English: This amendment would change the reason for setting background check hours from serving the bureau's business needs to meeting consumer needs.

• The bill would replace the phrase 'business needs of the bureau' with 'needs of the consumer'.
• This shift changes who is prioritized when deciding how long the unit stays open for checks.

• The amendment text does not explain exactly what specific hours or services would change.
• Because this amendment was lost, it did not become part of the final bill law.

Plain English: This amendment requires the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to submit an annual report by January 15 detailing background check processing times, changes to operating hours, system outages, and steps taken to improve efficiency.

• The bill now includes a new requirement for the bureau to send a yearly report to state legislative committees.
• This report must be submitted on or before January 15 of each year.
• The report must list average times it takes to process background checks and any major changes to when the office is open.
• The report must also explain any system failures that stopped people from submitting requests and what actions were taken to fix these problems.

• The amendment text does not specify penalties if the bureau fails to submit this annual report on time or with accurate information.
• It is unclear exactly how 'significant changes' to operating hours will be defined in future reports.

Plain English: This amendment would change the required operating hours for background checks to be from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., but only if a court rules that a specific state law is unconstitutional.

• It adds new sections (7)(e) and (7)(f) to the bill regarding bureau operations.
• Section (7)(e) requires the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day except Easter, Christmas, and Thanksgiving for background checks.
• Section (7)(f) states that these new hours only take effect if a court declares Section 18-12-115 unconstitutional and the time to appeal has passed.

• The amendment text does not explain what current law requires for operating hours, so it is unclear how this change differs from existing rules.
• Because the new schedule depends on a future court decision that may never happen, the actual impact of this bill remains uncertain.

Plain English: This amendment would require the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to tell the public about any changes to its firearm background check unit's hours at least one day before those new hours start.

• The bill now includes a rule that applies to section (7)(e) in addition to sections (7)(c) and (7)(d).
• The Bureau must inform the public about changes to its firearm background check unit's business hours at least 24 hours before the change happens.

• This amendment was voted down in the Senate, so it did not become part of the final bill.
• The text does not explain how the Bureau must share this information with the public (for example, on a website or via news).