I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9819 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans 

Affairs to establish a program to furnish to certain veterans items 

used for the secure storage of firearms, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 25, 2024 

Mr. DELUZIO (for himself, Mr. FITZPATRICK, and Mr. LANDSMAN) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a program to 

furnish to certain veterans items used for the secure 

storage of firearms, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Saving Our Veterans 

5 Lives Act of 2024’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PROGRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 

2 TO FURNISH TO VETERANS ITEMS USED FOR 

3 SECURE STORAGE OF FIREARMS. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 17 of 

5 title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 

6 end the following new section: 

7 ‘‘§ 1720K. Program to furnish to eligible veterans 

8 items intended to be used for the secure 

9 storage of firearms 

10 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry out a 

11 program to provide to an eligible veteran, upon the request 

12 of such eligible veteran— 

13 ‘‘(1) a covered item; and 

14 ‘‘(2) information relating to the benefits of, and 

15 options for, secure firearm storage. 

16 ‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

17 ‘‘(1) The term ‘covered item’ means a lock box 

18 that— 

19 ‘‘(A) is used for the secure storage of a 

20 firearm; 

21 ‘‘(B) is designed and marketed to deny un22 authorized access to, or render inoperable, a 

23 firearm or ammunition; 

24 ‘‘(C) may be unlocked only by means of a 

25 key, combination, or other similar means; 


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1 ‘‘(D) is in compliance with the applicable 

2 standard of American Society for Testing Mate3 rials; 

4 ‘‘(E) is manufactured in the United States; 

5 and 

6 ‘‘(F) is not eligible or intended for com7 mercial or individual resale. 

8 ‘‘(2) The term ‘eligible veteran’ means— 

9 ‘‘(A) a veteran (as defined in section 101 

10 of this title); and 

11 ‘‘(B) an individual described in section 

12 1720I(b) of this title.’’. 

13 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

14 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 

15 after the item relating to section 1720J the following new 

16 item: 

‘‘1720K. Program to furnish to eligible veterans items intended to be used 

for the secure storage of firearms.’’. 

17 (c) EDUCATION AND TRAINING.—The Secretary of 

18 Veterans Affairs shall— 

19 (1) in consultation with representatives of orga20 nizations and agencies that are subject to a memo21 randum of understanding with the Secretary on pre22 venting veteran suicide and other such entities as 

23 the Secretary determines appropriate— 


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1 (A) develop an informational video on se2 cure storage of firearms as a suicide prevention 

3 strategy; and 

4 (B) publish such informational video on an 

5 internet website of the Department; and 

6 (2) publish information to inform individuals 

7 who participate in the program under section 1720K 

8 of title 38, United States Code (as added by sub9 section (a)) that any lockbox furnished pursuant to 

10 such program is not eligible or intended for commer11 cial or individual resale. 

12 (d) PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN.—The Secretary 

13 of Veterans Affairs shall design and carry out a public 

14 education campaign to educate veterans eligible for cov15 ered items under the program established under section 

16 1720K of title 38, United States Code (as added by sub17 section (a)), to inform such veterans of the availability of 

18 such covered items. 

19 (e) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act, 

20 or the amendments made by this Act, may be construed 

21 to— 

22 (1) collect personally identifiable information of 

23 an individual who participates in the program under 

24 section 1720K of title 38, United States Code (as 


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1 added by subsection (a)) for the purposes of track2 ing firearm ownership; 

3 (2) require any such individual to register a 

4 firearm with the Department of Veterans Affairs; 

5 (3) require mandatory firearm storage for any 

6 such individual; 

7 (4) prohibit any such individual from pur8 chasing, owning, or possessing a firearm under sec9 tion 922 of title 18, United States Code; 

10 (5) discourage the lawful ownership of firearms; 

11 or 

12 (6) create or maintain a list of individuals par13 ticipating in such program. 

14 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

15 are authorized to the appropriated to the Secretary of Vet16 erans Affairs $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 

17 through 2035 to carry out this section. 

Æ 


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