S.Amdt. 6698

The amendment, titled the Saving Our Veterans Lives Act of 2026, aims to add a new subtitle to bill S. 4784. Its purpose is to provide veterans with "covered items," which are devices designed to prevent unauthorized use of firearms or ammunition and are intended for secure storage.

The amendment proposes the following changes and additions:

• Program Codification and Expansion: It codifies the existing Department of Veterans Affairs program to provide secure storage items through the Prosthetics and Sensory Aids Service. It expands this program to include enrolled veterans who have a documented suicide risk from the previous year, can use the device, have a clinician's determination that the device may mitigate suicide risk, and consent to receive it. This section includes a funding limit of $10,000,000.

• Pilot Program: It establishes a five-year pilot program to provide covered items or redeemable vouchers, along with information on secure storage, to eligible individuals not enrolled in the annual patient enrollment system. This pilot program also includes a public education campaign and a funding limit of $10,000,000.

• Education and Training: It requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to create educational materials on the benefits of secure firearm storage as a suicide prevention strategy.

• Protections and Limitations: The amendment specifies that it cannot be used to track firearm ownership, require firearm registration, mandate firearm storage, or discourage lawful gun ownership. It also explicitly states that seeking mental health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs does not impact the lawful ownership of firearms.