119-s926

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 926 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

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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