II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4929 

To improve lethal means safety training and education conducted by the 

Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 1, 2024 

Mr. KING introduced the following bill; 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 Affairs, 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 ‘‘Lethal Means Safe 

5 Storage for Veteran Suicide Prevention Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. UPDATE ON POLICY OF DEPARTMENT OF VET7 ERANS AFFAIRS FOR LETHAL MEANS SAFETY. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the 

9 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet10 erans Affairs shall update the policy of the Department 


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1 of Veterans Affairs relating to lethal means safety and sui2 cide prevention to require each health care provider of the 

3 Veterans Health Administration that is required to receive 

4 training on lethal means safety and suicide prevention to 

5 receive such training not less frequently than annually. 

6 (b) IMMEDIATE RECEIPT OF TRAINING.—The Sec7 retary shall ensure that each health care provider of the 

8 Veterans Health Administration who has not received 

9 training on lethal means safety and suicide prevention 

10 during the one-year period preceding the date of the enact11 ment of this Act receives such training not later than 120 

12 days after such date of enactment. 

13 (c) COMMUNITY CARE PROVIDERS.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall ensure 

15 that a health care provider, as a condition of serving 

16 as a health care provider under the Veterans Com17 munity Care Program under section 1703 of title 

18 38, United States Code, shall receive training on le19 thal means safety and suicide prevention not less 

20 frequently than annually. 

21 (2) IMMEDIATE RECEIPT OF TRAINING.—The 

22 Secretary shall ensure that a health care provider 

23 under the Veterans Community Care Program who 

24 has not received training on lethal means safety and 

25 suicide prevention during the one-year period preVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:20 Aug 30, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4929.IS S4929

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1 ceding the date of the enactment of this Act receives 

2 such training not later than 120 days after such 

3 date of enactment. 

4 (d) HEALTH CARE PROVIDER OF THE VETERANS

5 HEALTH ADMINISTRATION DEFINED.—In this section, 

6 the term ‘‘health care provider of the Veterans Health Ad7 ministration’’ means a full-time, part-time, or intermittent 

8 employee of the Veterans Health Administration— 

9 (1) engaged in patient care as a physician, psy10 chologist, registered nurse, social worker, physician 

11 assistant, pharmacist, or dentist; or 

12 (2) serving in the capacity of case manager or 

13 as a team leader or counselor at a Vet Center (as 

14 defined in section 1712A(h) of title 38, United 

15 States Code). 

16 SEC. 3. PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN OF DEPARTMENT 

17 OF VETERANS AFFAIRS ON LETHAL MEANS 

18 SAFETY. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

20 shall coordinate with veterans service organizations to 

21 carry out public education campaigns for veterans related 

22 to lethal means safety and safe storage options. 

23 (b) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—Public education 

24 campaigns under subsection (a) shall focus on— 

25 (1) suicide prevention; 


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1 (2) communicating why health care providers 

2 may ask about access to lethal means (including 

3 firearms and medications); 

4 (3) communicating the importance of planning 

5 ahead to put space and time between thoughts of 

6 self-harm and access to lethal means; and 

7 (4) communicating the importance of secure 

8 storage of firearms. 

9 (c) VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATION DEFINED.— 

10 In this section, the term ‘‘veterans service organization’’ 

11 means any organization recognized by the Secretary of 

12 Veterans Affairs for the representation of veterans under 

13 section 5902 of title 38, United States Code. 

14 SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 

15 AFFAIRS ON LETHAL MEANS SAFETY. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

17 shall carry out a grant program to award grants to entities 

18 specified in subsection (b) for the purpose of distributing 

19 gun lock boxes or gun safes to veterans. 

20 (b) ENTITIES SPECIFIED.—The entities specified in 

21 this subsection are the following: 

22 (1) States. 

23 (2) Veterans service organizations. 

24 (3) Nonprofit organizations. 

25 (4) Indian tribes. 


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1 (c) AMOUNT OF GRANTS.— 

2 (1) TOTAL AMOUNT.—The total amount of 

3 grants awarded under this section may not exceed 

4 $2,000,000. 

5 (2) INDIVIDUAL GRANTS.—An entity specified 

6 in subsection (b) may receive a grant under this sec7 tion in an amount not to exceed $100,000. 

8 (d) USE OF GRANT AMOUNTS.—Grant amounts 

9 awarded under this section shall be used to provide free 

10 gun lock boxes or gun safes to veterans. 

11 (e) COLLECTION OF INFORMATION.—An entity 

12 awarded a grant under this section may not— 

13 (1) collect names or personal information of any 

14 veteran seeking a gun lock box or gun safe under 

15 this section; or 

16 (2) inquire about the gun ownership of any 

17 such veteran. 

18 (f) CONFIRMATION OF VETERAN STATUS.—If a vet19 eran presents to an entity awarded a grant under this sec20 tion the Department of Defense Form 214 for such vet21 eran or another approved method of confirming their vet22 eran status, that shall be sufficient proof of eligibility for 

23 a gun lock box or gun safe under this section. 

24 (g) LIMITATION ON NUMBER OF GRANTS.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para2 graph (2), not more than one grant may be awarded 

3 under this section in each Veterans Integrated Serv4 ice Network. 

5 (2) ADDITIONAL FUNDING.—Additional grants 

6 may be awarded under this section within a Vet7 erans Integrated Service Network if the Secretary 

8 determines that additional amounts are available, 

9 with priority given to Veterans Integrated Service 

10 Networks with the highest rates of suicide by fire11 arm among veterans. 

12 (h) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec13 tion shall be construed to— 

14 (1) authorize or require the collection of per15 sonal identifiable information of recipients of gun 

16 lock boxes or gun safes for the purpose of tracking 

17 firearms ownership; 

18 (2) require veterans to register firearms with 

19 the Department of Veterans Affairs; 

20 (3) require mandatory firearm storage for vet21 erans participating in the grant program under this 

22 section; or 

23 (4) consider a veteran participating in the grant 

24 program under this section a prohibited person 

25 under section 922(g) of title 18, United States Code. 


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1 (i) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

2 (1) GUN LOCK BOX; GUN SAFE.—The terms 

3 ‘‘gun lock box’’ and ‘‘gun safe’’ mean a lock box or 

4 safe, as the case may be— 

5 (A) intended to be used for the secure 

6 storage of a firearm; 

7 (B) designed and marketed to deny unau8 thorized access to, or render inoperable, a fire9 arm or ammunition, and secured by a combina10 tion, key, or biometric lock; 

11 (C) that may be unlocked only by means of 

12 a combination, key, or other similar means; 

13 (D) that complies with the standards set 

14 forth by the American Society for Testing and 

15 Materials (ASTM International); and 

16 (E) is manufactured in the United States. 

17 (2) VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATION.—The 

18 term ‘‘veterans service organization’’ means any or19 ganization recognized by the Secretary of Veterans 

20 Affairs for the representation of veterans under sec21 tion 5902 of title 38, United States Code. 

22 (j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

23 (1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 

24 appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 


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1 $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 

2 2030 to carry out this section. 

3 (2) SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.—Amounts 

4 appropriated pursuant to an authorization of appro5 priations under paragraph (1) shall supplement, not 

6 supplant, existing suicide prevention funding of the 

7 Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Æ 


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