DENVER -- Colorado lawmakers introduced a bill Wednesday to require all new homes and homes for sale to have a carbon monoxide detector.

The Lofgren Family Home Safety Act is named for the Lofgren family, who died from carbon monoxide poisoning in a multi-million dollar Aspen home over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The family won the stay during a church auction.

Friends of the Lofgren's said a law like this is overdue. "Because I lost my best friend and her family, and this all could be prevented and it has to be," said Maggie Armstrong.

Last year, similar legislation failed because of outstanding questions about compliance and liability. The sponsors of this bill believe it will have less opposition.

If passed, Colorado would become the 18th state to require carbon monoxide detectors.

"Only 13 percent (of homes) have carbon monoxide detectors, in comparison to 94 percent of homes with smoke detectors," said another friend of the Lofgren family.

The bill is modeled after last year's Senate Bill 187, which failed.

The new legislation is designed to reduce the threat posed by carbon monoxide. The bill was unveiled by State Rep. John Soper (D-Thornton), State Rep.-elect Lois Court (D-Denver) and outgoing Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff. The lawmakers were joined by close friends and family of the Lofgrens.

Firefighters say carbon monoxide detectors should be as common as smoke detectors, but for some reason, they're not.

"It's colorless. It's odorless. Unless you have a detector in your home you wouldn't know that you have a problem until it's too late," said Lt. Travis Hopwood with West Metro Fire Rescue.

"You want to have it a little bit above ground," Hopwood said, referring to the detector. "Carbon monoxide filters up, so the higher up, the sooner you get a reading."

Statistics from the American Medical Association show carbon monoxide detectors are in very few homes.

"Only 13 percent have carbon monoxide detectors, in comparison to smoke detectors which is 94 percent," said Hopwood.

Firefighters say if your carbon monoxide detectors chirp intermittently, it's probably at the end of its lifespan. Most carbon monoxide detectors only last about five to seven years. The new standard is to put the detectors in every bedroom and on every floor.