Text of Senate Amendment 6698

On 2026-07-15, Senator Angus S. King Jr. (I-ME) delivered a floor speech titled "Text Of Senate Amendment 6698" in the Senate.

Text of Senate Amendment 6698

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S4111-S4112] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6698. Mr. KING submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: At the end of title X, add the following: Subtitle H--Saving Our Veterans Lives Act of 2026 SEC. 1094. SHORT TITLE. This subtitle may be cited as the ``Saving Our Veterans Lives Act of 2026''. SEC. 1095. COVERED ITEM DEFINED. In this subtitle, the term ``covered item'' means a device described in section 921(a)(34)(C) of title 18, United States Code, designed to prevent unauthorized use of firearms or ammunition that-- (1) is used to grant authorized access or prevent unauthorized access to a firearm or ammunition; (2) is marketed and intended as a secure firearm storage or security product; (3) is not eligible or intended for commercial or individual resale; and (4) may use physical, electronic, or other security mechanisms that meet or exceed standards established by the American Society for Testing and Materials or any successor standard. SEC. 1096. CODIFICATION AND EXPANSION OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PROGRAM TO FURNISH TO CERTAIN VETERANS ITEMS USED FOR SECURE STORAGE OF FIREARMS. (a) Codification.--On and after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out the program of the Department of Veterans Affairs in effect as of such date of enactment to provide covered items through the Prosthetics and Sensory Aids Service of the Department. (b) Expansion to Include Certain Veterans.--The Secretary shall expand the program under subsection (a) to include veterans enrolled in the system of annual patient enrollment of the Department established and operated under section 1705 of title 38, United States Code-- (1) with any assessed suicide risk documented via a comprehensive suicide risk evaluation conducted during the previous one-year period; (2) who can independently use a covered item or can use a covered item with assistance; (3) with respect to whom a clinician has determined that a covered item may mitigate suicide risk of the veteran; and (4) who consent to receive a covered item. (c) Additional Authority.-- (1) Modifications.--The Secretary may make such modifications to the program under subsection (a) as the Secretary considers appropriate to improve or expand services provided under such program. (2) Terms and conditions.--In carrying out the program under subsection (a), the Secretary may establish such terms and conditions as the Secretary determines appropriate, including-- (A) the types of covered items to provide; and (B) other aspects of the program. (3) Delegation.--The delegation of authority to the Secretary under this subsection is an express delegation of authority and shall be interpreted as such by any reviewing court or body. (d) Funding.--Amounts available to carry out this section may be $10,000,000 and must be appropriated specifically for that purpose on and after the date of the enactment of this Act. SEC. 1097. PILOT PROGRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO FURNISH TO CERTAIN VETERANS ITEMS USED FOR SECURE STORAGE OF FIREARMS. (a) In General.--Commencing not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out a five-year pilot program (in this section referred to as the ``pilot 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 pilot program, the Secretary may work with organizations that have experience, expertise, and business knowledge regarding covered items. (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 pilot program. (2) Collaboration.--In carrying out the public education campaign required under paragraph (1), the Secretary may collaborate 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 described in paragraph (1) material that assures eligible individuals that-- (A) their participation in the pilot program does not impact lawful ownership of firearms; and (B) seeking mental health care or other treatment at the Department of Veterans Affairs does not impact lawful ownership of firearms. (d) Additional Authority.-- (1) Rules and conditions.--The Secretary may prescribe such rules and conditions on the operation of the pilot program as the Secretary determines appropriate, including-- (A) the types of covered items to provide under the pilot program; and (B) other aspects of the pilot program. (2) Interim guidance.--The Secretary may carry out the pilot program through interim guidance in advance of the issuance of regulations for such purpose. (3) Delegation.--The delegation of authority to the Secretary under this subsection is an express delegation of authority and shall be interpreted as such by any reviewing court or body. (e) Reports to Congress.--Not later than 180 days after the commencement of the pilot program, and not less frequently than annually thereafter for the duration of the [[Page S4112]] pilot program, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report that includes-- (1) a description of the pilot program in a manner consistent with applicable law; (2) for 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 pilot program; (3) an assessment of efforts made to increase outreach and distribution of covered items under the pilot program to eligible individuals; (4) an assessment of any obstacles to increasing outreach to eligible individuals; (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 pilot program; and (6) an identification of the service era and gender of each eligible individual who received a covered item under the pilot program, disaggregated by Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN). (f) Funding.--Amounts available to carry out this section may be $10,000,000 and must be appropriated specifically for that purpose on and after the date of the enactment of this Act. (g) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--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) Eligible individual.--The term ``eligible individual'' means a veteran or an individual described in section 1720I(b) of title 38, United States Code, who is not enrolled in the system of annual patient enrollment of the Department of Veterans Affairs established and operated under section 1705 of such title. SEC. 1098. EDUCATION AND TRAINING. (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with such organizations and agencies as the Secretary determines appropriate, shall develop and make available to veterans educational and training materials regarding the benefits of secure storage of firearms as a suicide prevention strategy. (b) Impact on Gun Ownership.--Educational and training materials made available under subsection (a) shall include information stating that seeking mental health care or other treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs does not impact lawful ownership of firearms. SEC. 1099. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. (a) In General.--Nothing in this subtitle may be construed-- (1) to authorize the collection of personally identifiable information of an individual who participates in the pilot program under section 1097 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; (6) to create or maintain a list of individuals participating in such pilot program; or (7) to authorize the use or retention of personally identifiable information of an individual who participates in such pilot program or the program under section 1096(a) for the purposes of tracking or inferring firearm ownership or access to firearms. (b) Personally Identifiable Information.--For purposes of this section, personally identifiable information of an individual does not include the service era or gender of the individual. ______