119-hr1987

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1987 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1987

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
 Veterans Affairs to establish a program to furnish to certain 
 individuals items used for the secure storage of firearms, and for 
 other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 March 10, 2025

Mr. Deluzio (for himself, Mr. James, Mr. Fitzpatrick, and Mr. Landsman) 
 introduced the following bill; which was 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 
 individuals 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 
 VETERANS AND CERTAIN FORMER MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES 
 ITEMS USED FOR SECURE STORAGE OF FIREARMS.

    (a) 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 veterans and certain former members 
 of the Armed Forces items intended to be used for the 
 secure storage of firearms
 ``

    (a) In General.--

    (1) The Secretary shall carry out a program to 
provide to an eligible individual, upon the request of such eligible 
individual--
 ``
        (A) a covered item, or a redeemable voucher to aid in the 
 distribution of a covered item; and
 ``
        (B) information with respect to the benefits of, and 
 options for, secure firearm storage.
 ``

    (2) In distributing covered items to eligible individuals 
pursuant to such program, the Secretary is authorized to work with 
eligible entities that have expertise and business knowledge with 
respect to secure firearm storage and secure firearm storage devices.
 ``

    (b) Annual Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of the Saving Our Veterans Lives Act of 2025, and on an 
annual basis thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate 
congressional committees a report that includes, with respect to the 
period covered by the report--
 ``

    (1) a description of the how the program--
 ``
        (A) functions; and
 ``
        (B) promotes the secure storage of firearms;
 ``

    (2) the number of--
 ``
        (A) covered items distributed pursuant to the 
 program;
 ``
        (B) redeemable vouchers distributed pursuant to 
 the program; and
 ``
            (C) such redeemable vouchers redeemed for a 
 covered item;
 ``

    (3) efforts made to increase the outreach with respect to 
 such program to veterans not enrolled in the system of annual 
 patient enrollment established and operated under 

section 1705 
 of this title;
 ``

    (4) a description of any obstacles, if any, to increasing 
 such outreach; and
 ``

    (5) a description of additional steps, if any, the 
 Secretary intends to implement during the one-year period 
 beginning on the date of the submission of the report to 
 improve the processes by which eligible individuals receive a 
 covered item pursuant to the program.
 ``
            (c) === Definitions. ===
-In this section:
 ``

    (1) The term `appropriate congressional committees' 
 means--
 ``
        (A) the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the 
 House of Representatives and the Senate; and
 ``
        (B) the Committees on Appropriations of the House 
 of Representatives and the Senate.
 ``

    (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 applicable standard 
 of American Society for Testing and Materials F2456-20;
 ``
        (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; and
 ``
        (B) an eligible individual described in 
 subsection

    (b) of 

section 1720I of this title.''.

    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by adding 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.''.
            (c) 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 with respect to the prevention of suicide 
 among former members of the Armed Forces (including the reserve 
 components) 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; 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) ) that any item 
 intended to be used for the secure storage of a firearm 
 furnished pursuant to such program is not eligible or intended 
 for commercial or individual resale.
            (d) Public Education Campaign.--

    (1) In general.--The Secretary shall design and carry out a 
 public education campaign to educate individuals eligible to 
 participate in the program under 

section 1720M of title 38, 
 United States Code (as added by subsection

    (a) ), to inform such 
 individuals--
        (A) of the availability of items intended to be 
 used for the secure storage of a firearms under such 
 program; and
        (B) that participation in such program does not 
 affect the rights of an individual with respect to the 
 lawful ownership of a firearm.

    (2) Collaboration authorized.--In carrying out such 
 campaign, the Secretary may collaborate with organizations that 
 have expertise with respect to secure firearm storage and 
 secure firearm storage devices.

    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 
through 2036 to carry out--

    (1) this section; and

    (2) the program under 

section 1720M of title 38, United 
 States Code (as added by subsection

    (a) ).

    (f) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this Act, or the amendments 
made by this Act, may be construed to--

    (1) 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) ) 
 for the purposes of tracking firearm ownership;

    (2) 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) require mandatory firearm storage for any such 
 individual;

    (4) prohibit any such individual from purchasing, owning, 
 or possessing a firearm under 

section 922 of title 18, United 
 States Code;

    (5) discourage the lawful ownership of firearms; or

    (6) create or maintain a list of individuals that 
 participate in such program.
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