,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ibf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #aa          
7legislative day1 ,march #aj71 #bjbe,mr4
 ,king 7for himself and ,mr4 ,sheehy7   
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 to direct the ,secretary 
of ,veterans ,affairs to establish a    
program to furnish to certain veterans  
items used for the secure storage of    
firearms1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,saving ,our ,veterans ,lives ,act  
of #bjbe4  #b4 ,program of ,department  
of ,veterans ,affairs to furnish to     
certain veterans items used for secure  
storage of firearms  7a7 ,program  7#a7 
,in general ,subchapter ,,ii of chapter 
#ag of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1
 is amended by adding at the end the    
following new section3  #agbj,m4        
,program to furnish to eligible         

individuals items intended to be used   
for the secure storage of firearms  7a7 
,in general ,the ,secretary shall carry 
out a program to provide to an eligible 
individual1 upon the request of the     
eligible individual-- 7#a7 a covered    
item or a redeemable voucher to aid in  
the distribution of a covered item2 and 
7#b7 information relating to the        
benefits of1 and options for1 secure    
firearm storage4  7b7 ,distribution of  
covered items ,in carrying out the      
program under subsection 7a71 the       
,secretary is authorized to work with   
organizations that have experience1     
expertise1 and business knowledge       
regarding secure firearm storage and    
secure firearm storage devices4  7c7    
,public education campaign  7#a7 ,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 7a74  7#b7     
,partnership ,in carrying out the public

 education campaign required under      
paragraph 7#a71 the ,secretary may      
partner with organizations that have    
experience with respect to secure       
firearm storage devices4  7#c7          
,assurance about lawful ownership of    
firearms ,the ,secretary shall include  
in the public education campaign        
required under paragraph 7#a7 material  
that assures eligible individuals that  
their participation in the program under
 subsection 7a7 does not impact lawful  
ownership of firearms4  7d7 ,reports to 
,congress ,not later than ,october #a1  
#bjbe1 and not less frequently than     
annually thereafter1 the ,secretary     
shall submit to the appropriate         
committees of ,congress a report that   
includes-- 7#a7 a description of the    
program under subsection 7a7 in a manner
 consistent with applicable law2  7#b7  
during the period covered by the report1
 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 program2  7#c7 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  
#agje of this title2  7#d7 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 system2 and    
7#e7 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        
program4  7e7 ,definitions ,in this     
section3 7#a7 ,the term appropriate     
committees of ,congress means-- 7,a7 the
 ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs and  
the ,committee on ,appropriations of the

 ,senate2 and  7,b7 the ,committee on   
,veterans' ,affairs and the ,committee  
on ,appropriations of the ,house of     
,representatives4  7#b7 ,the term       
covered item means a lockbox that-- 7,a7
 is used for the secure storage of a    
firearm and ammunition2  7,b7 is        
designed1 intended1 and marketed to     
prevent unauthorized access to a firearm
 or ammunition2  7,c7 may be unlocked   
only by means of a key1 combination1 or 
other similar means2  7,d7 is in        
compliance with the standard of the     
,american ,society for ,testing and     
,materials ,f#bdef-bj1 or any successor 
standard2  7,e7 is manufactured in the  
,united ,states2 and  7,f7 is not       
eligible or intended for commercial or  
individual resale4  7#c7 ,the term      
eligible individual means-- 7,a7 a      
veteran2 or  7,b7 an individual         
described in section #agbj;,i7b7 of this
 title4  4  7#b7 ,clerical amendment    
,the table of sections at the beginning 
of such chapter is amended by inserting 

after the item relating to section      
#agbj,l the following new item3         
#agbj,m4 ,program to furnish to eligible
 individuals items intended to be used  
for the secure storage of firearms4  4  
7b7 ,education and training ,the        
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall--
 7#a7 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-- 7,a7
 develop an informational video on      
secure storage of firearms as a suicide 
prevention strategy2 and  7,b7 publish  
such informational video on an internet 
website of the ,department of ,veterans 
,affairs2 and  7#b7 publish information 
to inform individuals who participate in
 the program under section #agbj,m of   
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code 7as    
added by subsection 7a77#a77 that any   
lockbox furnished pursuant to such      

program is not eligible or intended for 
commercial or individual resale4  7c7   
,rule of construction ,nothing in this  
,act or the amendments made by this ,act
 may be construed-- 7#a7 to collect     
personally identifiable information of  
an individual who participates in the   
program under section #agbj,m of title  
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code 7as added by 
subsection 7a77#a77 for the purposes of 
tracking firearm ownership2  7#b7 to    
require any such individual to register 
a firearm with the ,department of       
,veterans ,affairs1 or any other        
,federal1 ,state1 ,tribal1 or local unit
 of government2  7#c7 to require        
mandatory firearm storage for any such  
individual2  7#d7 to prohibit any such  
individual from purchasing1 owning1 or  
possessing a firearm under section #ibb 
of title #ah1 ,united ,states ,code2    
7#e7 to discourage the lawful ownership 
of firearms2 or  7#f7 to create or      
maintain a list of individuals          
participating in such program4  7d7     

,authorization of appropriations ,there 
are authorized to be appropriated to the
 ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs       
#e1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years     
#bjbf through #bjcf to carry out this   
section and the amendments made by this 
section4