[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6452 Reported in House (RH)]
<DOC>
Union Calendar No. 499
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6452
[Report No. 118-599]
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department
of Veterans Affairs a Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 17, 2023
Ms. Stefanik (for herself, Mr. Bost, Mr. Cole, and Mr. Wittman)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs
July 18, 2024
Additional sponsors: Mr. Lawler, Mrs. Radewagen, Mr. Buchanan, Mr.
Mann, and Mr. Feenstra
July 18, 2024
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on
November 17, 2023]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department
of Veterans Affairs a Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer, 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 ``Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Act
of 2024'' or the ``VSAFE Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. VETERANS SCAM AND FRAUD EVASION OFFICER.
(a) In General.--Chapter 3 of title 38, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 325. Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer
``(a) Establishment.--There is in the Department a Veterans Scam
and Fraud Evasion Officer, who shall be responsible for fraud and scam
prevention, reporting, and incident response plans at the Department.
``(b) Responsibilities.--The Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion
Officer shall carry out the following responsibilities:
``(1) Providing comprehensive communication from the
Department to Department employees and veterans, their
families, caregivers, and survivors during strategic and time-
sensitive fraud and scam incidents.
``(2) Establishing consistent guidance across the
enterprise for employees as well as veterans, their families,
caregivers, and survivors on how to identify, report, and avoid
fraud and scam attempts.
``(3) Promoting the Veteran Identity Health Theft Helpline
of the Department (and any successor resource) and identifying
other identity theft resources available to veterans, their
families, caregivers, and survivors, including with respect to
actions made by the Secretary to protect the identities of
veterans and their beneficiaries.
``(4) Developing methods to monitor fraud and scam metrics
within the Department to--
``(A) provide internal and external reporting;
``(B) enable advanced data analytics; and
``(C) facilitate proactive and robust fraud and
scam trend identification.
``(5) Developing comprehensive training plans for
Department employees fielding fraud and scam inquiries and
reports.
``(6) Coordinating with the Inspector General of the
Department and other Federal departments and agencies,
including the Executive Office of the President, the Office of
Management and Budget, the Internal Revenue Service, the
Department of Justice, the Department of State, the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau, the Department of Defense, the
Department of Education, the Social Security Administration,
and other relevant agencies to--
``(A) create a whole-of-Government view within the
Department with respect to the fraud prevention efforts
at other Federal departments and agencies;
``(B) identify the proper avenues for veterans to
report fraud attempts and receive assistance; and
``(C) identify opportunities for coordination with
such departments and agencies.
``(7) Consulting with veterans service organizations and
State, local, and tribal governments, as necessary, to improve
the understanding of fraud and scam risks within the
Department.
``(c) Full-time Employees.--Nothing in this section authorizes an
increase in the number of full-time employees otherwise authorized for
the Department.
``(d) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed to limit the authority of the Office of Inspector General of
the Department as otherwise provided in this title or in chapter 4 of
title 5 (commonly referred to as the Inspector General Act of 1978).''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item:
``325. Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer.''.
SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF CERTAIN HOUSING LOAN FEES.
The loan fee table in section 3729(b)(2) of title 38, United States
Code, is amended by striking ``November 15, 2031'' each place it
appears and inserting ``November 29, 2031''.
Union Calendar No. 499
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6452
[Report No. 118-599]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department
of Veterans Affairs a Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
July 18, 2024
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed