GUARD VA Benefits Act
Sponsored By: Representative Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1]
In Committee
Summary
Reinstates federal penalties for charging veterans unauthorized fees. This bill would amend 38 U.S.C. 5905 to add headings for "Withholding of Benefits" and "Charging of Unauthorized Fees" and make it unlawful to solicit, contract for, charge, or receive any fee for preparing, presenting, or prosecuting claims for VA benefits. Penalties are tied to federal criminal fines in Title 18. The bill preserves the exceptions already laid out in 38 U.S.C. 5904 and 1984.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Ban on unauthorized VA claim fees
If enacted, this bill would ban anyone from charging a fee to prepare, present, or prosecute a VA benefits claim. It would also ban trying to solicit, agree to, or receive such fees. There are exceptions in sections 5904 and 1984 of title 38. Violators would be subject to a federal fine as provided in title 18.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1]
NH • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]
PA • R
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Van Drew
NJ • R
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Thompson (MS)
MS • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3]
IL • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Golden, Jared F. [D-ME-2]
ME • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Connolly
VA • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2]
NE • R
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. McGarvey, Morgan [D-KY-3]
KY • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Pingree
ME • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2]
IL • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Sykes, Emilia Strong [D-OH-13]
OH • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Strickland, Marilyn [D-WA-10]
WA • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Casar, Greg [D-TX-35]
TX • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Keating
MA • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Cherfilus-McCormick
FL • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Peters
CA • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Newhouse, Dan [R-WA-4]
WA • R
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8]
IL • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Schakowsky
IL • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Hoyle, Val T. [D-OR-4]
OR • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2]
HI • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
McClellan
VA • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Davis (NC)
NC • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. DeGette, Diana [D-CO-1]
CO • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Sorensen, Eric [D-IL-17]
IL • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Magaziner, Seth [D-RI-2]
RI • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Sherrill
NJ • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6]
OR • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Kustoff
TN • R
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5]
MN • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
DelBene
WA • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Carter, Troy A. [D-LA-2]
LA • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]
MA • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17]
PA • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5]
PA • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Amo, Gabe [D-RI-1]
RI • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Stevens, Haley M. [D-MI-11]
MI • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5]
IL • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2]
NC • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Garcia, Robert [D-CA-42]
CA • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Auchincloss
MA • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5]
CT • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Cohen
TN • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Levin
CA • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Stanton, Greg [D-AZ-4]
AZ • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5]
MO • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Strong, Dale W. [R-AL-5]
AL • R
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]
NJ • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10]
IL • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1]
NV • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Tenney, Claudia [R-NY-24]
NY • R
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Grijalva
AZ • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Budzinski
IL • D
Sponsored 3/14/2025
Friedman
CA • D
Sponsored 3/14/2025
Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13]
MI • D
Sponsored 3/14/2025
Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-25]
CA • D
Sponsored 3/14/2025
Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]
CO • D
Sponsored 3/14/2025
Rep. Landsman, Greg [D-OH-1]
OH • D
Sponsored 3/14/2025
Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2]
WI • D
Sponsored 3/14/2025
Rep. McClain Delaney, April [D-MD-6]
MD • D
Sponsored 3/14/2025
Rep. Morrison, Kelly [D-MN-3]
MN • D
Sponsored 3/14/2025
Mrvan
IN • D
Sponsored 3/14/2025
Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]
MI • D
Sponsored 3/14/2025
McBride
DE • D
Sponsored 3/25/2025
Fletcher
TX • D
Sponsored 3/25/2025
McGovern
MA • D
Sponsored 3/25/2025
Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]
NY • R
Sponsored 3/25/2025
Rep. Larson, John B. [D-CT-1]
CT • D
Sponsored 3/25/2025
Rep. Dexter, Maxine [D-OR-3]
OR • D
Sponsored 3/25/2025
Stansbury
NM • D
Sponsored 3/25/2025
Swalwell
CA • D
Sponsored 3/25/2025
Rep. Larsen, Rick [D-WA-2]
WA • D
Sponsored 3/25/2025
Rep. Pettersen, Brittany [D-CO-7]
CO • D
Sponsored 3/25/2025
Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6]
NY • D
Sponsored 4/17/2025
Conaway
NJ • D
Sponsored 4/17/2025
Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8]
MA • D
Sponsored 4/17/2025
Rep. Goodlander, Maggie [D-NH-2]
NH • D
Sponsored 4/17/2025
Rep. Fleischmann, Charles J. "Chuck" [R-TN-3]
TN • R
Sponsored 4/17/2025
Craig
MN • D
Sponsored 4/17/2025
Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1]
HI • D
Sponsored 4/17/2025
Castro (TX)
TX • D
Sponsored 4/17/2025
Fulcher
ID • R
Sponsored 4/17/2025
Rep. Horsford, Steven [D-NV-4]
NV • D
Sponsored 4/17/2025
Rep. Bynum, Janelle S. [D-OR-5]
OR • D
Sponsored 4/17/2025
Cisneros
CA • D
Sponsored 5/20/2025
Rep. Courtney, Joe [D-CT-2]
CT • D
Sponsored 5/20/2025
Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa [D-NM-3]
NM • D
Sponsored 5/20/2025
Rep. Owens, Burgess [R-UT-4]
UT • R
Sponsored 5/20/2025
Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1]
MO • D
Sponsored 5/20/2025
Rep. Kaptur, Marcy [D-OH-9]
OH • D
Sponsored 5/20/2025
Rogers (KY)
KY • R
Sponsored 5/20/2025
Rep. Subramanyam, Suhas [D-VA-10]
VA • D
Sponsored 7/2/2025
Schrier
WA • D
Sponsored 8/5/2025
Crow
CO • D
Sponsored 8/26/2025
Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-32]
CA • D
Sponsored 8/26/2025
Rep. Perez, Marie Gluesenkamp [D-WA-3]
WA • D
Sponsored 9/17/2025
Rep. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ-8]
NJ • D
Sponsored 9/17/2025
Rep. Walkinshaw, James R. [D-VA-11]
VA • D
Sponsored 9/26/2025
Rep. Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-51]
CA • D
Sponsored 10/28/2025
Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6]
MI • D
Sponsored 10/28/2025
Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10]
NY • D
Sponsored 10/28/2025
Carson
IN • D
Sponsored 11/7/2025
Rep. Olszewski, Johnny [D-MD-2]
MD • D
Sponsored 11/7/2025
Rescom. Hernández, Pablo Jose [D-PR-At Large]
PR • D
Sponsored 11/7/2025
Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7]
WA • D
Sponsored 11/7/2025
Rep. Figures, Shomari [D-AL-2]
AL • D
Sponsored 11/7/2025
Kean
NJ • R
Sponsored 12/11/2025
Grijalva
AZ • D
Sponsored 12/11/2025
Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28]
CA • D
Sponsored 1/7/2026
Rep. Min, Dave [D-CA-47]
CA • D
Sponsored 1/7/2026
Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7]
VA • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Rep. Vasquez, Gabe [D-NM-2]
NM • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Rep. Scholten, Hillary J. [D-MI-3]
MI • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-10]
CA • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Rep. Underwood, Lauren [D-IL-14]
IL • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Stauber
MN • R
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Barragan
CA • D
Sponsored 3/5/2026
Costa
CA • D
Sponsored 3/5/2026
Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24]
CA • D
Sponsored 3/16/2026
Kennedy (NY)
NY • D
Sponsored 3/16/2026
Lofgren
CA • D
Sponsored 4/6/2026
Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-7]
CA • D
Sponsored 4/6/2026
Mannion
NY • D
Sponsored 4/6/2026
Rep. Grothman, Glenn [R-WI-6]
WI • R
Sponsored 4/16/2026
Rep. DeLauro, Rosa L. [D-CT-3]
CT • D
Sponsored 4/16/2026
Mills
FL • R
Sponsored 4/20/2026
Simon
CA • D
Sponsored 4/20/2026
Liccardo
CA • D
Sponsored 4/27/2026
Randall
WA • D
Sponsored 4/29/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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