Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
Veteran Fraud Reimbursement Act of 2025
A Democratic bill with 2 Republican cosponsors · See all 3 cosponsors
Last activity — Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 119-35.
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, known as the ``Veteran Fraud Reimbursement Act of 2025'', aims to amend title 38 of the United States Code. The primary goal is to improve how the Secretary of Veterans Affairs repays benefits that were misused by a fiduciary. It requires the Secretary to pay the beneficiary or a successor fiduciary an amount equal to the misused benefits. The bill also instructs the Secretary to make good faith efforts to recover those funds from the fiduciary. Additionally, it establishes rules for payments in cases where a beneficiary has died and provides for oversight regarding negligence.
Yes· 3 of 4
- Scored +8
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
The bill improves the protection of veteran benefits by requiring the Secretary to reissue funds misused by fiduciaries.
- Scored +8
Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive?
The bill mandates the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to repay beneficiaries when their benefits are misused by a fiduciary.
- Scored +6
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
The bill protects the financial interests of beneficiaries whose government benefits have been misused.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Direct Reimbursement for Misused Funds: The Secretary is required to pay the beneficiary or a successor fiduciary an amount equal to the benefit that was misused by a fiduciary (Sec. 2, subsection (a)(1)). This ensures individuals can be made whole when their benefits are mishandled.
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Protection Against Withheld Payments: The Secretary cannot delay reissuing a benefit payment just because they are still trying to determine if the misuse was caused by their own negligence (Sec. 2, subsection (d)(2)). This prevents bureaucratic delays from keeping money away from those who need it.
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Rules for Deceased Beneficiaries: If a beneficiary dies before receiving their owed payment, the Secretary must pay the amount to an individual or entity according to specific legal standards (Sec. 2, subsection (b)(1)).
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Preventing Fraudulent Claims from Fiduciaries: The bill explicitly forbids the Secretary from making these specific payments to the very fiduciary who misused the beneficiary's benefits (Sec. 2, subsection (b)(2)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Limits on Total Recoverable Amounts: The total amount paid to a beneficiary or successor fiduciary cannot exceed the actual amount that was misused by the fiduciary (Sec. 2, subsection (c)). This means there is a cap on the reimbursement based on the original loss.
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Lack of Mandatory Negligence Determinations: The Secretary is not required to make a determination of negligence for every single instance of misused benefits (Sec. 2, subsection (d)(3)). This could mean that some instances of misuse might not be officially categorized as negligence by the Secretary.
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.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill improves the protection of veteran benefits by requiring the Secretary to reissue funds misused by fiduciaries. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill protects the financial interests of beneficiaries whose government benefits have been misused. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — The bill provides a mechanism to recover misused benefits for beneficiaries, many of whom are seniors.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — The bill mandates the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to repay beneficiaries when their benefits are misused by a fiduciary.
- 3/11/2025
- Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 119-35.
- 3/6/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- 3 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
John BoozmanRepublican · Arkansas
Ruben GallegoDemocrat · Arizona
Tommy TubervilleRepublican · Alabama