Fraud Reduction And Uncovering Deception (FRAUD) in VA Disability Exams Act
Sponsored By: Representative Takano, Mark [D-CA-39]
In Committee
Summary
Detecting and reporting fraud in VA disability exams.
Show full summary
The bill would require recurring audits of all Disability Benefit Questionnaire (DBQ) forms, set up a process for benefits staff to report suspected DBQ fraud, expand the VA Office of Inspector General's authority to investigate DBQ-related fraud, and generally bar reopening final claims unless the person is convicted of a crime tied to the fraudulent submission.
- Veterans and claimants would face audits of every DBQ they submit and would be notified if VA staff suspect fraud in their form or related claim.
- Benefits processors would be required to identify and forward suspected DBQ fraud to investigative bodies, and the VA Office of Inspector General would be authorized to use all applicable inspector-general powers to pursue those cases.
- Claims would be kept final in most situations because the Secretary would generally be barred from reopening or changing a final decision based on an IG investigation, and the Secretary would submit an annual report to the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs committees on implementation.
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Protect final VA benefit decisions
If enacted, the VA would be prohibited from reopening or changing a final Department decision on a benefit claim solely because of an Inspector General investigation. The prohibition would not apply if, during that investigation, an individual is convicted in court of a crime related to submitting fraudulent evidence for a VA claim. This would protect final benefit decisions for claimants except in cases that lead to criminal conviction.
New fraud checks for VA disability forms
If enacted, the VA would set up a process so claims staff can identify and report suspected fraud on disability benefit questionnaire (DBQ) forms. The VA would run recurring audits of all DBQ forms, no matter who sent them. The VA would notify a person who submitted a DBQ or related claim when the VA suspects fraud. The VA Office of Inspector General would be allowed to use extra investigative authorities for DBQ fraud probes. The VA would send an annual report to the House and Senate Committees on Veterans' Affairs on how this is working.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Takano, Mark [D-CA-39]
CA • D
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov