[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 926 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 926
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to establish a program to furnish to certain veterans
items used for the secure storage of firearms, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 11 (legislative day, March 10), 2025
Mr. King (for himself and Mr. Sheehy) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to establish a program to furnish to certain veterans
items used for the secure storage of firearms, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Saving Our Veterans Lives Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. PROGRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO FURNISH TO CERTAIN
VETERANS ITEMS USED FOR SECURE STORAGE OF FIREARMS.
(a) Program.--
(1) In general.--Subchapter II of chapter 17 of title 38,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:
``Sec. 1720M. Program to furnish to eligible individuals items intended
to be used for the secure storage of firearms
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall carry out a program to
provide to an eligible individual, upon the request of the eligible
individual--
``(1) a covered item or a redeemable voucher to aid in the
distribution of a covered item; and
``(2) information relating to the benefits of, and options
for, secure firearm storage.
``(b) Distribution of Covered Items.--In carrying out the program
under subsection (a), the Secretary is authorized to work with
organizations that have experience, expertise, and business knowledge
regarding secure firearm storage and secure firearm storage devices.
``(c) Public Education Campaign.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall design and carry out
a public education campaign to inform eligible individuals of
the availability of covered items under the program under
subsection (a).
``(2) Partnership.--In carrying out the public education
campaign required under paragraph (1), the Secretary may
partner with organizations that have experience with respect to
secure firearm storage devices.
``(3) Assurance about lawful ownership of firearms.--The
Secretary shall include in the public education campaign
required under paragraph (1) material that assures eligible
individuals that their participation in the program under
subsection (a) does not impact lawful ownership of firearms.
``(d) Reports to Congress.--Not later than October 1, 2025, and not
less frequently than annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to
the appropriate committees of Congress a report that includes--
``(1) a description of the program under subsection (a) in
a manner consistent with applicable law;
``(2) during the period covered by the report, the number
of covered items distributed by the Veterans Health
Administration and the number of covered items redeemed outside
of the Veterans Health Administration under the program;
``(3) an assessment of efforts made to increase outreach
and distribution of covered items under the program to eligible
individuals who are not enrolled in the system of annual
patient enrollment of the Department established and operated
under section 1705 of this title;
``(4) an assessment of any obstacles to increasing outreach
to eligible individuals who are enrolled in such system and
those who are not enrolled in such system; and
``(5) an identification of additional steps that will be
taken during the one-year period after the submission of the
report to improve the processes through which eligible
individuals receive a covered item under the program.
``(e) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) The term `appropriate committees of Congress' means--
``(A) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and
``(B) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the
Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives.
``(2) The term `covered item' means a lockbox that--
``(A) is used for the secure storage of a firearm
and ammunition;
``(B) is designed, intended, and marketed to
prevent unauthorized access to a firearm or ammunition;
``(C) may be unlocked only by means of a key,
combination, or other similar means;
``(D) is in compliance with the standard of the
American Society for Testing and Materials F2456-20, or
any successor standard;
``(E) is manufactured in the United States; and
``(F) is not eligible or intended for commercial or
individual resale.
``(3) The term `eligible individual' means--
``(A) a veteran; or
``(B) an individual described in section 1720I(b)
of this title.''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the
beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the
item relating to section 1720L the following new item:
``1720M. Program to furnish to eligible individuals items intended to
be used for the secure storage of
firearms.''.
(b) Education and Training.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall--
(1) in consultation with representatives of organizations
and agencies that are subject to a memorandum of understanding
with the Secretary on preventing veteran suicide and other such
entities as the Secretary determines appropriate--
(A) develop an informational video on secure
storage of firearms as a suicide prevention strategy;
and
(B) publish such informational video on an internet
website of the Department of Veterans Affairs; and
(2) publish information to inform individuals who
participate in the program under section 1720M of title 38,
United States Code (as added by subsection (a)(1)) that any
lockbox furnished pursuant to such program is not eligible or
intended for commercial or individual resale.
(c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this Act or the amendments
made by this Act may be construed--
(1) to collect personally identifiable information of an
individual who participates in the program under section 1720M
of title 38, United States Code (as added by subsection (a)(1))
for the purposes of tracking firearm ownership;
(2) to require any such individual to register a firearm
with the Department of Veterans Affairs, or any other Federal,
State, Tribal, or local unit of government;
(3) to require mandatory firearm storage for any such
individual;
(4) to prohibit any such individual from purchasing,
owning, or possessing a firearm under section 922 of title 18,
United States Code;
(5) to discourage the lawful ownership of firearms; or
(6) to create or maintain a list of individuals
participating in such program.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs $5,000,000 for each
of fiscal years 2026 through 2036 to carry out this section and the
amendments made by this section.
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