Saving Our Veterans Lives Act of 2025

Angus S. King Jr.

Independent · ME · Senator

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

• Tim Sheehy (R-MT)Original· 2025-03-11
• Ruben Gallego (D-AZ)· 2025-12-01
• Susan M. Collins (R-ME)· 2025-12-01
• Jacky Rosen (D-NV)· 2026-02-10
• John Boozman (R-AR)· 2026-02-10

Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 119-247.

2025-12-10

Source: Congress.gov

Saving Our Veterans Lives Act of 2025 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a program to provide, upon request, a firearm lockbox (or voucher for such item) to eligible individuals. Currently, there is a pilot program under which certain veterans may be prescribed a lockbox by a VA clinician. The VA must also provide information with respect to the benefits of and options for secure firearm storage. The VA must develop an informational video on the secure storage of firearms as a suicide prevention strategy and publish the video on its website. Additionally, the VA must publish information to inform individuals who participate in the lockbox program that such lockboxes are not for resale. The VA must also implement a public education campaign to educate eligible individuals about the availability of lockboxes under the program and that participation in the program does not affect the rights of an individual with respect to the lawful ownership of a firearm.

Plain-English rewrite of the Congressional Research Service summary published on Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed.

[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. <all>

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