MONTGOMERY — Members of a new steering committee charged with developing a plan to address the mental health needs of Alabama veterans discussed the idea of implementing a voluntary firearm storage program Thursday during the group’s first meeting in Montgomery.

Established after the passage of Senate Bill 135 earlier this year, the committee is made up of leaders from the Alabama departments of Mental Health and Veterans Affairs, as well as several military officials and lawmakers, many of them veterans themselves.

One member of the committee, Jason Smith, suicide prevention coordinator for the Alabama National Guard, championed and advocated for an initiative known as the Safer Together program.