Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Act of 2025
Floor Speech
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Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1663) 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, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 1663
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 2025'' or the ``VSAFE Act of 2025''. 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. 326. Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer
``(a) Establishment.--There is in the Department a Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer, who shall--
``(1) be responsible for fraud and scam prevention, reporting, and incident response plans at the Department; and
``(2) serve as a central point of contact to direct veterans to resources to prevent and mitigate fraud and scams.
``(b) Responsibilities.--The Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer shall carry out the following responsibilities:
``(1) Providing comprehensive communication from the Secretary to employees of the Department 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 VSAFE Fraud Hotline and VSAFE.gov website of the Department (and any successor resources) 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) develop a whole-of-Government view within the Department to improve fraud prevention efforts within the Department;
``(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 understanding of potential fraud and scam risks to veterans.
``(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).
``(e) Sunset.--The requirements and authorities of this section shall terminate on September 30, 2030.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item: ``326. Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer.''. SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF CERTAIN LIMITS ON PAYMENTS OF PENSION.
Section 5503(d)(7) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking ``January 31, 2033'' and inserting ``March 31, 2033''.
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Mr. BOST. 1663, as amended.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1663, as amended, offered by Representative Calvert from California.
This bill would protect veterans from scams and fraud that may target the benefits they earned through service. Too many veterans, along with their families, caregivers, and survivors, are being hit with savvy fraud schemes designed to steal personal information, drain bank accounts, and even redirect VA benefits to bad actors. When these scams happen, veterans often don't know where to turn inside the Federal system.
The VSAFE Act would take direct action to fix this issue. This bill would add dedicated veterans scam and fraud evasion officer positions at the Department of Veterans Affairs. This would rightfully build up VA's fraud prevention and response efforts across VA, so this problem is treated like a real threat, not just an afterthought.
Representative Calvert's bill would also require VA to improve communications during urgent fraud incidents, so veterans and their families are not left in the dark while scammers continue to strike. By building up VA's existing antifraud tools, adding new ones where necessary, we can combat fraud head-on.
Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, veterans should never lose their hard-earned benefits because the system failed to protect them from criminals. The VSAFE Act should strengthen the accountability, improve prevention, and give veterans the support and protection they deserve.
This bill takes an important step toward safeguarding veterans and strengthening trust in the VA system, and I am proud to support it.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R.
Someday, I would like to carry on this floor from our committee a bill that is actually sponsored by a Republican that my colleague can actually find totally good. We come out here every time, and he finds all the excuses of why this is bad, this is bad, and this is bad. This is a really good bill.
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Mr. BOST. I encourage all Members to support this piece of legislation. I think it is a wonderful piece of legislation. It is way overdue.
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