119-hr5723

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5723 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 5723

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to identify and report instances of fraud with respect 
to disability benefit questionnaire forms of the Department of Veterans 
 Affairs, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 October 8, 2025

 Mr. Takano introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to identify and report instances of fraud with respect 
to disability benefit questionnaire forms of the Department of Veterans 
 Affairs, 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 ``Fraud Reduction And Uncovering 
Deception

    (FRAUD) in VA Disability Exams Act''.

SEC. 2. IDENTIFICATION AND REPORTING OF FRAUD WITH RESPECT TO 
 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS DISABILITY BENEFIT 
 QUESTIONNAIRE FORMS.

 Chapter 53 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
the end the following new section (and conforming the tables of section 
at the beginning of such chapter accordingly):
``

Sec. 5322. Identification and reporting of fraud with respect to 
 disability benefit questionnaire forms
 ``

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall carry out actions to 
identify fraudulent activity with respect to the submission to the 
Secretary of data on disability benefit questionnaire forms of the 
Department without regard to the source of such disability benefit 
questionnaire forms. Such actions shall include--
 ``

    (1) implementing a process through which individuals 
 responsible for processing claims for benefits under laws 
 administered by the Secretary may--
 ``
        (A) identify instances of fraudulent activity 
 with respect to such disability benefit questionnaire 
 forms; and
 ``
        (B) submit to appropriate investigatory bodies, 
 including the Office of the Inspector General of the 
 Department, reports of suspected fraudulent activity 
 identified pursuant to the process;
 ``

    (2) establishing a recurring audit of such disability 
 benefit questionnaire forms submitted to the Secretary without 
 regard to the source of such disability benefit questionnaire 
 forms; and
 ``

    (3) with respect to such disability benefit questionnaire 
 forms or such claims that the Secretary suspects may contain 
 fraudulent information, informing the individual who submitted 
 the disability benefit questionnaire form or claim of the 
 suspicion of fraudulent activity.
 ``

    (b) Authority of the Inspector General.--To investigate suspected 
fraudulent activity identified pursuant to the process under subsection

    (a)

    (1) , the Inspector General of the Department may use any authority 
applicable to an inspector general of the Federal Government that is 
not otherwise available to the Inspector General under laws 
administered by the Secretary that the Inspector General determines 
necessary for the investigation.
 ``
            (c) Limitation.--

    (1) Except as provided in paragraph

    (2) , the 
Secretary may not, pursuant to an investigation of the Inspector 
General under subsection

    (b) , reopen or change a final decision of the 
Department with respect to a claim for a benefit under laws 
administered by the Secretary.
 ``

    (2) Paragraph

    (1) shall not apply in any case in which, pursuant 
to an investigation of the Inspector General under subsection

    (b) , an 
individual is convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction of a crime 
relating to fraudulent activity in the submission to the Secretary of 
evidence supporting a claim for benefits under laws administered by the 
Secretary.
 ``
            (d) Annual Report.--On an annual basis, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the 
House of Representatives a report on the administration this 
section.''.
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