Preventing Veteran Suicide — A Direct Call to Action
H.R. 9819, the Saving Our Veterans Lives Act, would direct the VA to provide eligible veterans with secure storage options for their firearms.
Reducing veteran suicide remains a top priority for Congress, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the veteran community. Unfortunately, firearms are by far the most prevalent method of veteran suicides, used 72% of the time–a rate that is much higher than non-veteran firearm suicide. One in 3 veteran firearm owners store at least 1 firearm unlocked and loaded. This unsafe storage practice is more frequent among veteran firearm owners who seek VHA care (38.0%) than among other veterans who own firearms (31.9%).
H.R. 9819, the Saving Our Veterans Lives Act, would direct the VA to provide eligible veterans with secure storage options for their firearms. The bill also calls for a public education campaign on the availability of these items and on how to use them as a suicide prevention strategy while ensuring the program has no collection of personally identifiable information for tracking firearm ownership, mandatory firearm storage or discouraging lawful firearm ownership.
Experts agree that safe gun storage helps create time and space for a veteran in crisis, and can interrupt the impulse of suicidal thoughts and ideation–giving the person an opportunity to hesitate, reconsider and seek help.
I am calling on folks to contact their representatives and urge them to co-sponsor and support H.R. 9819, the Saving Our Veterans Lives Act.
Take Action here by completing this letter to your member of Congress at this link: DAV | H.R. 9819, the Saving Our Veterans Lives Act of 2024
Learn more about suicide by firearm prevention at Firearm Suicide Prevention & Lethal Means Safety — REACH.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 for immediate help.
