Lauren Underwood (D-IL)
Lethal Means Safety Training Act
A Democratic bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill is called the Lethal Means Safety Training Act. It requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to update the Department of Veterans Affairs Lethal Means Safety and Suicide Prevention training course. The initial update must happen within 180 days, and the training must be updated at least once every year after that. The bill requires certain VA employees, community care providers, and family caregivers to take this updated training course. It also requires the Secretary to publish an annual report on the Department internet website showing the completion percentages for the training. Finally, the bill requires the training course to be made publicly available on a Department website.
Yes· 3 of 5
- Scored +8
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
The bill directly benefits veterans by improving the quality, cultural appropriateness, and availability of suicide prevention and lethal means safety training among their caregivers and providers.
- Scored +7
Does this help veterans get medical care?
The bill improves veterans' healthcare by updating and mandating lethal means safety and suicide prevention training for VA staff, community care providers, and family caregivers.
- Scored +6
Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive?
The bill enhances the support structure and suicide prevention resources available to veterans and their family caregivers.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Section 2(a)(1) requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to update the Lethal Means Safety and Suicide Prevention training course to ensure it is culturally appropriate and uses best practices identified by subject matter experts, which could benefit veterans by improving the quality of suicide prevention efforts.
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Section 2(a)(2) requires the Secretary to publish an annual report on the internet website of the Department detailing the percentage of individuals who completed the training, which holds officials accountable for tracking training completion.
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Section 2(b) requires specific groups—such as certain employees who regularly interact with veterans, community care providers, and family caregivers—to take the updated training course within 90 days and at least once every year thereafter, ensuring those around veterans are regularly educated on suicide prevention.
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Section 2(d) requires the Secretary to make the training course publicly available on an appropriate website of the Department, which gives the public open access to these suicide prevention resources.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Section 2(b)(3) makes taking the training course a mandatory condition for any employee of a non-Department provider to furnish care, which places a new regulatory burden on these workers.
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Section 2(b)(4) makes taking the training course a mandatory condition for family caregivers to receive support, which places a new training requirement and time burden on caregivers.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Healthcare
- Does this help veterans get medical care? — The bill improves veterans' healthcare by updating and mandating lethal means safety and suicide prevention training for VA staff, community care providers, and family caregivers. Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill increases access to specialized suicide prevention resources and training for those interacting with veterans.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill directly benefits veterans by improving the quality, cultural appropriateness, and availability of suicide prevention and lethal means safety training among their caregivers and providers.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — The bill enhances the support structure and suicide prevention resources available to veterans and their family caregivers.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill increases government transparency by requiring the VA to publish an annual report detailing training completion percentages.
- 9/23/2026
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- 9/16/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Mike LevinDemocrat · California