GUARD VA Benefits Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1732 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1732

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to reinstate penalties for
  persons charging veterans unauthorized fees relating to claims for
   benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans
                    Affairs, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 27, 2025

Mr. Pappas (for himself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Van Drew, Mr. Thompson of
   Mississippi, Mrs. Ramirez, Mr. Golden of Maine, Mr. Connolly, Mr.
 Bacon, Mr. McGarvey, Ms. Pingree, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mrs. Sykes,
 Ms. Strickland, Mr. Casar, Mr. Keating, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, Mr.
Peters, Mr. Newhouse, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Hoyle of
   Oregon, Ms. Tokuda, Ms. Norton, Ms. McClellan, Mr. Davis of North
 Carolina, Ms. DeGette, Mr. Sorensen, Mr. Magaziner, Ms. Sherrill, Ms.
 Salinas, Mr. Kustoff, Ms. Omar, Ms. DelBene, Mr. Carter of Louisiana,
   Mr. Moulton, Mr. Deluzio, Ms. Scanlon, Mr. Amo, Ms. Stevens, Mr.
  Quigley, Ms. Ross, Mr. Garcia of California, Mr. Auchincloss, Mrs.
Hayes, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Levin, Mr. Stanton, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Strong, Mr.
  Gottheimer, Mr. Schneider, Ms. Titus, Ms. Tenney, and Mr. Grijalva)
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
 Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary,
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of
                        the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to reinstate penalties for
  persons charging veterans unauthorized fees relating to claims for
   benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans
                    Affairs, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Governing Unaccredited
Representatives Defrauding VA Benefits Act'' or the ``GUARD VA Benefits
Act''.

SEC. 2. REINSTATEMENT OF PENALTIES FOR CHARGING VETERANS UNAUTHORIZED
              FEES RELATING TO CLAIMS FOR BENEFITS UNDER LAWS
              ADMINISTERED BY THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    Section 5905 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in the section heading, by striking ``Penalty'' and
        inserting ``Penalties'' (and conforming the table of sections
        at the beginning of chapter 59 of such title accordingly);
            (2) by inserting ``(a) Withholding of Benefits.--'' before
        ``Whoever''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(b) Charging of Unauthorized Fees.--Except as provided in
sections 5904 or 1984 of this title, whoever solicits, contracts for,
charges, or receives, or attempts to solicit, contract for, charge, or
receive, any fee or compensation with respect to the preparation,
presentation, or prosecution of any claim for benefits under the laws
administered by the Secretary shall be fined as provided in title
18.''.
                                 <all>