,,ii #aahth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #dibi ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,august #a1 #bjbd,mr4 ,king introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to improve lethal means safety training and education conducted by the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,lethal ,means ,safe ,storage for ,veteran ,suicide ,prevention ,act4 #b4 ,update on policy of ,department of ,veterans ,affairs for lethal means safety 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #abj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall update the policy of the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs relating to lethal means safety and suicide prevention to require each health care provider of the ,veterans ,health ,administration that is required to receive training on lethal means safety and suicide prevention to receive such training not less frequently than annually4 7b7 ,immediate receipt of training ,the ,secretary shall ensure that each health care provider of the ,veterans ,health ,administration who has not received training on lethal means safety and suicide prevention during the one-year period preceding the date of the enactment of this ,act receives such training not later than #abj days after such date of enactment4 7c7 ,community care providers 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall ensure that a health care provider1 as a condition of serving as a health care provider under the ,veterans ,community ,care ,program under section #agjc of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 shall receive training on lethal means safety and suicide prevention not less frequently than annually4 7#b7 ,immediate receipt of training ,the ,secretary shall ensure that a health care provider under the ,veterans ,community ,care ,program who has not received training on lethal means safety and suicide prevention during the one-year period preceding the date of the enactment of this ,act receives such training not later than #abj days after such date of enactment4 7d7 ,health care provider of the ,veterans ,health ,administration defined ,in this section1 the term health care provider of the ,veterans ,health ,administration means a full-time1 part-time1 or intermittent employee of the ,veterans ,health ,administration-- 7#a7 engaged in patient care as a physician1 psychologist1 registered nurse1 social worker1 physician assistant1 pharmacist1 or dentist2 or 7#b7 serving in the capacity of case manager or as a team leader or counselor at a ,vet ,center 7as defined in section #agab;,a7h7 of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code74 #c4 ,public education campaign of ,department of ,veterans ,affairs on lethal means safety 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall coordinate with veterans service organizations to carry out public education campaigns for veterans related to lethal means safety and safe storage options4 7b7 ,matters ,to be included ,public education campaigns under subsection 7a7 shall focus on-- 7#a7 suicide prevention2 7#b7 communicating why health care providers may ask about access to lethal means 7including firearms and medications72 7#c7 communicating the importance of planning ahead to put space and time between thoughts of self-harm and access to lethal means2 and 7#d7 communicating the importance of secure storage of firearms4 7c7 ,veterans service organization defined ,in this section1 the term veterans service organization means any organization recognized by the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs for the representation of veterans under section #eijb of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4 #d4 ,grant program of ,department of ,veterans ,affairs on lethal means safety 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall carry out a grant program to award grants to entities specified in subsection 7b7 for the purpose of distributing gun lock boxes or gun safes to veterans4 7b7 ,entities specified ,the entities specified in this subsection are the following3 7#a7 ,states4 7#b7 ,veterans service organizations4 7#c7 ,nonprofit organizations4 7#d7 ,indian tribes4 7c7 ,amount of grants 7#a7 ,total amount ,the total amount of grants awarded under this section may not exceed #b1jjj1jjj4 7#b7 ,individual grants ,an entity specified in subsection 7b7 may receive a grant under this section in an amount not to exceed #ajj1jjj4 7d7 ,use of grant amounts ,grant amounts awarded under this section shall be used to provide free gun lock boxes or gun safes to veterans4 7e7 ,collection of information ,an entity awarded a grant under this section may not-- 7#a7 collect names or personal information of any veteran seeking a gun lock box or gun safe under this section2 or 7#b7 inquire about the gun ownership of any such veteran4 7f7 ,confirmation of veteran status ,if a veteran presents to an entity awarded a grant under this section the ,department of ,defense ,form #bad for such veteran or another approved method of confirming their veteran status1 that shall be sufficient proof of eligibility for a gun lock box or gun safe under this section4 7g7 ,limitation on number of grants 7#a7 ,in general ,except as provided in paragraph 7#b71 not more than one grant may be awarded under this section in each ,veterans ,integrated ,service ,network4 7#b7 ,additional funding ,additional grants may be awarded under this section within a ,veterans ,integrated ,service ,network if the ,secretary determines that additional amounts are available1 with priority given to ,veterans ,integrated ,service ,networks with the highest rates of suicide by firearm among veterans4 7h7 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this section shall be construed to-- 7#a7 authorize or require the collection of personal identifiable information of recipients of gun lock boxes or gun safes for the purpose of tracking firearms ownership2 7#b7 require veterans to register firearms with the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs2 7#c7 require mandatory firearm storage for veterans participating in the grant program under this section2 or 7#d7 consider a veteran participating in the grant program under this section a prohibited person under section #ibb7;g7 of title #ah1 ,united ,states ,code4 7i7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,gun lock box2 gun safe ,the terms gun lock box and gun safe mean a lock box or safe1 as the case may be-- 7,a7 intended to be used for the secure storage of a firearm2 7,b7 designed and marketed to deny unauthorized access to1 or render inoperable1 a firearm or ammunition1 and secured by a combination1 key1 or biometric lock2 7,c7 that may be unlocked only by means of a combination1 key1 or other similar means2 7,d7 that complies with the standards set forth by the ,american ,society for ,testing and ,materials 7,,astm ,international72 and 7,e7 is manufactured in the ,united ,states4 7#b7 ,veterans service organization ,the term veterans service organization means any organization recognized by the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs for the representation of veterans under section #eijb of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4 7j7 ,authorization of appropriations 7#a7 ,in general ,there is authorized to be appropriated to the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs #b1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbe through #bjcj to carry out this section4 7#b7 ,supplement not supplant ,amounts appropriated pursuant to an authorization of appropriations under paragraph 7#a7 shall supplement1 not supplant1 existing suicide prevention funding of the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs4