[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 113 (Monday, July 13, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3819-S3820]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 6613. 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) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary $10,000,000 for each year
to carry out the program required under this section.
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
[[Page S3820]]
(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 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) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary $10,000,000 for each of
fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to carry out the pilot
program.
(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.
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.
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