,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bhbb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #g1  
#bjai,ms4 ,duckworth introduced the     
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
direct the ,secretary of ,veterans      
,affairs to develop and maintain a      
suicide risk management and prevention  
and lethal means training course for    
certain employees of the ,department of 
,veterans ,affairs1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,post-#i_/aa        
,veteran ,suicide ,prevention           
,counseling ,act4  #b4 ,suicide risk    
management and prevention and lethal    
means training course of the ,department
 of ,veterans ,affairs  7a7 ,development
  7#a7 ,initial development ,not later  
than #ahj days after the date of the    
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,veterans ,affairs1 in consultation  
with entities described in subsection   

7b71 shall develop a suicide risk       
management and prevention and lethal    
means training course that is culturally
 appropriate and addresses the concerns 
of firearm owners4  7#b7 ,periodic      
updates ,the ,secretary shall update the
 training under this subsection not less
 frequently than once every two years4  
7b7 ,entities described ,the entities   
described in this subsection are the    
following3 7#a7 ,the ,secretary of      
,health and ,human ,services4  7#b7 ,the
 ,national ,institutes of ,health4  7#c7
 ,public and private institutions of    
higher education4  7#d7 ,experts in the 
assessment1 treatment1 and management of
 suicidal tendencies4  7#e7 ,relevant   
professional associations4  7#f7 ,gun   
ownership groups1 in order to reduce the
 stigma associated with firearm         
ownership and safe storage4  7c7        
,trainees2 frequency of training ,the   
,secretary shall provide the most recent
 training developed under subsection 7a7
 not less frequently than once every    

five years to each employee of the      
,veterans ,health ,administration who   
regularly interacts with veterans in the
 course of such employment4  7d7 ,public
 availability ,the ,secretary shall make
 the training developed under subsection
 7a7 available to members of the public4