S. 926

119 S926 IS: Saving Our Veterans Lives Act of 2025
 U.S. Senate
 2025-03-11
 text/xml
 EN
 Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
 II  119th CONGRESS  1st Session  S. 926  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.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Saving Our Veterans Lives Act of 2025  .
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:
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.