Title 38Veterans' BenefitsRelease 119-73

§5319 Limitations on access to financial records

Title 38 › Part PART IV— - GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS › Chapter CHAPTER 53— - SPECIAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO BENEFITS › § 5319

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary may ask a bank for financial records under section 1113(p) of the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978 (12 U.S.C. 3413(p)) only if the Secretary finds the records are needed to carry out the laws named there and cannot be found by a reasonable search of the Department’s files. Each request must include a written statement that those two findings were made. If the Right to Financial Privacy Act would otherwise forbid sharing the records, any records obtained this way may be used only to run the benefit programs the Secretary manages.

Full Legal Text

Title 38, §5319

Veterans' Benefits — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary may make a request referred to in section 1113(p) of the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978 (12 U.S.C. 3413(p)) only if the Secretary determines that the requested information—
(1)is necessary in order for the Secretary to administer the provisions of law referred to in that section; and
(2)cannot be secured by a reasonable search of records and information of the Department.
(b)The Secretary shall include a certification of the determinations referred to in subsection (a) in each request presented to a financial institution.
(c)Information disclosed pursuant to a request referred to in subsection (a) may be used solely for the purpose of the administration of benefits programs under laws administered by the Secretary if, except for the exemption in subsection (a), the disclosure of that information would otherwise be prohibited by any provision of the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978, referred to in subsec. (c), is title XI of Pub. L. 95–630, Nov. 10, 1978, 92 Stat. 3697, which is classified generally to chapter 35 (§ 3401 et seq.) of Title 12, Banks and Banking. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 3401 of Title 12 and Tables.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

38 U.S.C. § 5319

Title 38Veterans' Benefits

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73