Secure Firearm Storage and Suicide Prevention Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill would require the Department of Education to create a list of best practices for keeping guns safely locked up. The goal is to prevent suicides and accidental shootings, which are leading causes of death for children and teenagers.
• Most public schools would be required to share this safety information with students, parents, and teachers. Schools would send these guides through email and as paper handouts at the beginning and end of every school year, starting in 2027.
• The safety guides would teach parents how to use locks and safes, explain the risks of leaving guns out, and tell students what to do if they find a gun. It would also include information on where families can get free gun locks or storage devices.
• The law requires the information to be neutral. This means the school materials cannot tell people whether they should or should not own a gun; they can only provide facts about safety and storage.
• Supporters of the bill note that nearly 80% of youth suicides involving a gun use a weapon belonging to a family member. They believe that putting a lock or safe between a person in crisis and a firearm can save lives.