King Resolution Designating September 30th as National Veterans Suicide Prevention Day Passes Senate Unanimously

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) today welcomed news that their bipartisan resolution designating September 30^th as "National Veterans Suicide Prevention Day" passed the U.S. Senate unanimously. The resolution recognizes the lasting physical injuries and emotional trauma that can result from military service. The resolution also supports the families and loved ones who bear the loss when a veteran dies by suicide, learning from their experiences, and strengthening early intervention efforts to help with future prevention.

"National Veterans Suicide Prevention Day is a solemn reminder of our responsibility to the veterans we have lost, and to the families who carry their memory forward," said Senator King. "Their experiences demonstrate the critical importance of early support and reliable access to care. We remain committed to strengthening the systems that provide veterans and their loved ones with effective and compassionate services."

Senator King had previously led bipartisan legislation to reduce the risk of veteran suicide. The Saving Our Veterans' Lives Act would authorize a program through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide free firearm lockboxes to veterans to put time and space between at-risk individuals and lethal means, such as firearms.

In 2025, the Department of Veterans Affairs reported that each day, there was an average of 17.5 veteran suicides, making it the 12^th leading cause of death among veterans, and the 2^nd leading cause among veterans under the age of 45. This accounts for a disproportionate percentage of adult suicides in the United States. Additionally, 75% of veteran suicide deaths involve a firearm, which reaffirms safe firearm storage as an essential part of suicide prevention measures.

The National Veterans Suicide Prevention Day resolution is endorsed by Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), The American Legion, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS).

Representing one of the states with the highest rates of military families and veterans per capita, Senator King is a staunch advocate for America's servicemembers and veterans. In March, Senator King was honored by The American Legion with its 2026 Distinguished Public Service Award. Last year, Senator King was honored by the Disabled American Veterans as its 2025 Legislator of the Year. He was also recognized by the Wounded Warrior Project as the 2024 Legislator of the Year for his "outstanding legislative effort and achievement to improve the lives of the wounded, ill, and injured veterans."

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