| 1 | 1 | | I |
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| 2 | 2 | | 119THCONGRESS |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1 |
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| 4 | 4 | | STSESSION H. R. 1987 |
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| 5 | 5 | | To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans |
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| 6 | 6 | | Affairs to establish a program to furnish to certain individuals items |
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| 7 | 7 | | used for the secure storage of firearms, and for other purposes. |
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| 8 | 8 | | IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
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| 9 | 9 | | MARCH10, 2025 |
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| 10 | 10 | | Mr. D |
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| 11 | 11 | | ELUZIO(for himself, Mr. JAMES, Mr. FITZPATRICK, and Mr. |
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| 12 | 12 | | L |
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| 13 | 13 | | ANDSMAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com- |
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| 14 | 14 | | mittee on Veterans’ Affairs |
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| 15 | 15 | | A BILL |
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| 16 | 16 | | To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Sec- |
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| 17 | 17 | | retary of Veterans Affairs to establish a program to |
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| 18 | 18 | | furnish to certain individuals items used for the secure |
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| 19 | 19 | | storage of firearms, and for other purposes. |
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| 20 | 20 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1 |
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| 21 | 21 | | tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 |
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| 22 | 22 | | SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 |
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| 23 | 23 | | This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Saving Our Veterans 4 |
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| 24 | 24 | | Lives Act of 2025’’. 5 |
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| 26 | 26 | | ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 2 |
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| 27 | 27 | | •HR 1987 IH |
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| 28 | 28 | | SEC. 2. PROGRAM OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 1 |
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| 29 | 29 | | TO FURNISH TO VETERANS AND CERTAIN 2 |
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| 30 | 30 | | FORMER MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES 3 |
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| 31 | 31 | | ITEMS USED FOR SECURE STORAGE OF FIRE-4 |
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| 32 | 32 | | ARMS. 5 |
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| 33 | 33 | | (a) I |
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| 34 | 34 | | NGENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 17 of 6 |
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| 35 | 35 | | title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 7 |
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| 36 | 36 | | end the following new section: 8 |
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| 37 | 37 | | ‘‘§ 1720M. Program to furnish to veterans and certain 9 |
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| 38 | 38 | | former members of the Armed Forces 10 |
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| 39 | 39 | | items intended to be used for the secure 11 |
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| 40 | 40 | | storage of firearms 12 |
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| 41 | 41 | | ‘‘(a) I |
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| 42 | 42 | | NGENERAL.—(1) The Secretary shall carry out 13 |
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| 43 | 43 | | a program to provide to an eligible individual, upon the 14 |
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| 44 | 44 | | request of such eligible individual— 15 |
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| 45 | 45 | | ‘‘(A) a covered item, or a redeemable voucher to 16 |
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| 46 | 46 | | aid in the distribution of a covered item; and 17 |
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| 47 | 47 | | ‘‘(B) information with respect to the benefits 18 |
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| 48 | 48 | | of, and options for, secure firearm storage. 19 |
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| 49 | 49 | | ‘‘(2) In distributing covered items to eligible individ-20 |
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| 50 | 50 | | uals pursuant to such program, the Secretary is author-21 |
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| 51 | 51 | | ized to work with eligible entities that have expertise and 22 |
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| 52 | 52 | | business knowledge with respect to secure firearm storage 23 |
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| 53 | 53 | | and secure firearm storage devices. 24 |
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| 54 | 54 | | ‘‘(b) A |
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| 55 | 55 | | NNUALREPORT.—Not later than one year 25 |
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| 56 | 56 | | after the date of the enactment of the Saving Our Vet-26 |
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| 58 | 58 | | ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 3 |
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| 59 | 59 | | •HR 1987 IH |
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| 60 | 60 | | erans Lives Act of 2025, and on an annual basis there-1 |
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| 61 | 61 | | after, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate con-2 |
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| 62 | 62 | | gressional committees a report that includes, with respect 3 |
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| 63 | 63 | | to the period covered by the report— 4 |
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| 64 | 64 | | ‘‘(1) a description of the how the program— 5 |
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| 65 | 65 | | ‘‘(A) functions; and 6 |
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| 66 | 66 | | ‘‘(B) promotes the secure storage of fire-7 |
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| 67 | 67 | | arms; 8 |
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| 68 | 68 | | ‘‘(2) the number of— 9 |
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| 69 | 69 | | ‘‘(A) covered items distributed pursuant to 10 |
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| 70 | 70 | | the program; 11 |
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| 71 | 71 | | ‘‘(B) redeemable vouchers distributed pur-12 |
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| 72 | 72 | | suant to the program; and 13 |
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| 73 | 73 | | ‘‘(C) such redeemable vouchers redeemed 14 |
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| 74 | 74 | | for a covered item; 15 |
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| 75 | 75 | | ‘‘(3) efforts made to increase the outreach with 16 |
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| 76 | 76 | | respect to such program to veterans not enrolled in 17 |
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| 77 | 77 | | the system of annual patient enrollment established 18 |
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| 78 | 78 | | and operated under section 1705 of this title; 19 |
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| 79 | 79 | | ‘‘(4) a description of any obstacles, if any, to 20 |
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| 80 | 80 | | increasing such outreach; and 21 |
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| 81 | 81 | | ‘‘(5) a description of additional steps, if any, 22 |
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| 82 | 82 | | the Secretary intends to implement during the one- 23 |
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| 83 | 83 | | year period beginning on the date of the submission 24 |
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| 84 | 84 | | of the report to improve the processes by which eligi-25 |
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| 86 | 86 | | ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 4 |
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| 87 | 87 | | •HR 1987 IH |
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| 88 | 88 | | ble individuals receive a covered item pursuant to 1 |
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| 89 | 89 | | the program. 2 |
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| 90 | 90 | | ‘‘(c) D |
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| 91 | 91 | | EFINITIONS.—In this section: 3 |
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| 92 | 92 | | ‘‘(1) The term ‘appropriate congressional com-4 |
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| 93 | 93 | | mittees’ means— 5 |
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| 94 | 94 | | ‘‘(A) the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs 6 |
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| 95 | 95 | | of the House of Representatives and the Sen-7 |
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| 96 | 96 | | ate; and 8 |
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| 97 | 97 | | ‘‘(B) the Committees on Appropriations of 9 |
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| 98 | 98 | | the House of Representatives and the Senate. 10 |
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| 99 | 99 | | ‘‘(2) The term ‘covered item’ means a lockbox 11 |
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| 100 | 100 | | that— 12 |
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| 101 | 101 | | ‘‘(A) is used for the secure storage of a 13 |
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| 102 | 102 | | firearm and ammunition; 14 |
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| 103 | 103 | | ‘‘(B) is designed, intended, and marketed 15 |
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| 104 | 104 | | to prevent unauthorized access to a firearm or 16 |
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| 105 | 105 | | ammunition; 17 |
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| 106 | 106 | | ‘‘(C) may be unlocked only by means of a 18 |
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| 107 | 107 | | key, combination, or other similar means; 19 |
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| 108 | 108 | | ‘‘(D) is in compliance with the applicable 20 |
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| 109 | 109 | | standard of American Society for Testing and 21 |
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| 110 | 110 | | Materials F2456–20; 22 |
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| 111 | 111 | | ‘‘(E) is manufactured in the United States; 23 |
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| 112 | 112 | | and 24 |
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| 115 | 115 | | •HR 1987 IH |
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| 116 | 116 | | ‘‘(F) is not eligible or intended for com-1 |
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| 117 | 117 | | mercial or individual resale. 2 |
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| 118 | 118 | | ‘‘(3) The term ‘eligible individual’ means— 3 |
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| 119 | 119 | | ‘‘(A) a veteran; and 4 |
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| 120 | 120 | | ‘‘(B) an eligible individual described in 5 |
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| 121 | 121 | | subsection (b) of section 1720I of this title.’’. 6 |
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| 122 | 122 | | (b) C |
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| 123 | 123 | | LERICALAMENDMENT.—The table of sections 7 |
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| 124 | 124 | | at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 8 |
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| 125 | 125 | | after the item relating to section 1720L the following new 9 |
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| 126 | 126 | | item: 10 |
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| 127 | 127 | | ‘‘1720M. Program to furnish to eligible individuals items intended to be |
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| 128 | 128 | | used for the secure storage of firearms.’’. |
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| 129 | 129 | | (c) EDUCATION AND TRAINING.—The Secretary of 11 |
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| 130 | 130 | | Veterans Affairs shall— 12 |
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| 131 | 131 | | (1) in consultation with representatives of orga-13 |
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| 132 | 132 | | nizations and agencies that are subject to a memo-14 |
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| 133 | 133 | | randum of understanding with the Secretary with 15 |
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| 134 | 134 | | respect to the prevention of suicide among former 16 |
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| 135 | 135 | | members of the Armed Forces (including the reserve 17 |
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| 136 | 136 | | components) and other such entities as the Secretary 18 |
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| 137 | 137 | | determines appropriate— 19 |
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| 138 | 138 | | (A) develop an informational video on se-20 |
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| 139 | 139 | | cure storage of firearms as a suicide prevention 21 |
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| 140 | 140 | | strategy; and 22 |
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| 141 | 141 | | (B) publish such informational video on an 23 |
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| 142 | 142 | | internet website of the Department; and 24 |
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| 145 | 145 | | •HR 1987 IH |
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| 146 | 146 | | (2) publish information to inform individuals 1 |
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| 147 | 147 | | who participate in the program under section 1720M 2 |
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| 148 | 148 | | of title 38, United States Code (as added by sub-3 |
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| 149 | 149 | | section (a)) that any item intended to be used for 4 |
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| 150 | 150 | | the secure storage of a firearm furnished pursuant 5 |
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| 151 | 151 | | to such program is not eligible or intended for com-6 |
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| 152 | 152 | | mercial or individual resale. 7 |
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| 153 | 153 | | (d) P |
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| 154 | 154 | | UBLICEDUCATIONCAMPAIGN.— 8 |
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| 155 | 155 | | (1) I |
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| 156 | 156 | | N GENERAL.—The Secretary shall design 9 |
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| 157 | 157 | | and carry out a public education campaign to edu-10 |
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| 158 | 158 | | cate individuals eligible to participate in the program 11 |
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| 159 | 159 | | under section 1720M of title 38, United States Code 12 |
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| 160 | 160 | | (as added by subsection (a)), to inform such individ-13 |
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| 161 | 161 | | uals— 14 |
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| 162 | 162 | | (A) of the availability of items intended to 15 |
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| 163 | 163 | | be used for the secure storage of a firearms 16 |
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| 164 | 164 | | under such program; and 17 |
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| 165 | 165 | | (B) that participation in such program 18 |
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| 166 | 166 | | does not affect the rights of an individual with 19 |
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| 167 | 167 | | respect to the lawful ownership of a firearm. 20 |
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| 168 | 168 | | (2) C |
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| 169 | 169 | | OLLABORATION AUTHORIZED .—In car-21 |
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| 170 | 170 | | rying out such campaign, the Secretary may collabo-22 |
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| 171 | 171 | | rate with organizations that have expertise with re-23 |
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| 172 | 172 | | spect to secure firearm storage and secure firearm 24 |
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| 173 | 173 | | storage devices. 25 |
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| 176 | 176 | | •HR 1987 IH |
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| 177 | 177 | | (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 1 |
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| 178 | 178 | | are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary 2 |
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| 179 | 179 | | $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2036 3 |
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| 180 | 180 | | to carry out— 4 |
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| 181 | 181 | | (1) this section; and 5 |
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| 182 | 182 | | (2) the program under section 1720M of title 6 |
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| 183 | 183 | | 38, United States Code (as added by subsection (a)). 7 |
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| 184 | 184 | | (f) R |
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| 185 | 185 | | ULE OFCONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act, 8 |
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| 186 | 186 | | or the amendments made by this Act, may be construed 9 |
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| 187 | 187 | | to— 10 |
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| 188 | 188 | | (1) collect personally identifiable information of 11 |
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| 189 | 189 | | an individual who participates in the program under 12 |
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| 190 | 190 | | section 1720M of title 38, United States Code (as 13 |
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| 191 | 191 | | added by subsection (a)) for the purposes of track-14 |
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| 192 | 192 | | ing firearm ownership; 15 |
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| 193 | 193 | | (2) require any such individual to register a 16 |
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| 194 | 194 | | firearm with the Department of Veterans Affairs, or 17 |
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| 195 | 195 | | any other Federal, state, tribal or local unit of Gov-18 |
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| 196 | 196 | | ernment; 19 |
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| 197 | 197 | | (3) require mandatory firearm storage for any 20 |
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| 198 | 198 | | such individual; 21 |
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| 199 | 199 | | (4) prohibit any such individual from pur-22 |
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| 200 | 200 | | chasing, owning, or possessing a firearm under sec-23 |
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| 201 | 201 | | tion 922 of title 18, United States Code; 24 |
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| 204 | 204 | | •HR 1987 IH |
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| 205 | 205 | | (5) discourage the lawful ownership of firearms; 1 |
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| 206 | 206 | | or 2 |
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| 207 | 207 | | (6) create or maintain a list of individuals that 3 |
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| 208 | 208 | | participate in such program. 4 |
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| 209 | 209 | | Æ |
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