The Lethal Means Safety Training Act directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to update its suicide prevention training course to reflect current best practices and cultural appropriateness within 180 days of the bill's enactment, with ongoing annual updates thereafter. The bill requires VA employees who interact with veterans, compensation examiners, vocational rehabilitation staff, and community care providers to complete the training within 90 days of hire and annually thereafter, and extends the same requirement to family caregivers of veterans. The VA must consult with suicide prevention experts, mental health agencies, veterans service organizations, and firearm safety instructors when developing the training, and must publish annual reports showing completion rates across different employee categories. The updated training course will be made available to the general public on the VA website, ensuring broader access to lethal means safety education beyond just VA personnel.
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