Underwood Introduces Legislation to Prevent Veteran Suicides

WASHINGTON— This week, Representatives Lauren Underwood and Mike Levin (CA-49) introduced legislation to address the veteran suicide crisis by expanding evidence-based lethal means safety training for all VA employees who regularly interact with veterans, as well as community care providers and family caregivers. Currently, clinical health care providers in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities are the only staff required to receive this training.

"The evidence is clear: supporting lethal means safety saves lives. The Lethal Means Safety Training Act will make sure that all VA employees and community partners who care for our veterans are equipped to help a veteran in crisis," said Representative Underwood. "The Lethal Means Safety Act is an evidence-based approach that creates valuable time and space between a veteran at risk for suicide and potentially lethal means, a critical step for saving veterans' lives."

“VA safety training programs provide VA employees with the tools they need to be successful, especially when discussing storage of firearms and medications with veterans, and they should be offered to anyone who wants to take them,” said Rep. Mike Levin. “This bill would expand lethal means safety training to ensure more VA employees, caregivers, and community care providers are able to guide veterans in secure storage and help save lives. I thank Rep. Underwood for her partnership on this bill and look forward to it moving through the legislative process.”

VA employees and contractors are essential partners in promoting evidence-based suicide prevention practices, such as lethal means safety, which is one of the few population-level interventions that reduce suicide rates. VA's training equips recipients for conversations with veterans about lethal means safety, helping them to create valuable time and space in the event of a crisis. According to VA researchers, "for a veteran in crisis, lethal means safety during a critical period can make all the difference."

The Lethal Means Safety Training Act also includes strong compliance and reporting requirements and requires VA to share its training resources with the general public for broader use. The Lethal Means Safety Training Act has been endorsed by Giffords, Brady United, and Everytown, and Walk the Talk America.

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