3.0.0 805 2023-01-11T13:44:39Z 2023-01-11T13:44:39Z Senate S 2019-03-14 116 ssva00 Veterans' Affairs Committee Senate Standing Reported by 2020-09-15T21:49:16Z Markup by 2020-08-05T20:51:30Z Hearings by 2019-05-22T18:30:56Z Referred to 2019-03-14T15:15:31Z 2020-09-15 Senate Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 539. Calendars 2020-09-15 ssva00 Veterans' Affairs Committee Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Moran with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report. Committee 2020-09-15 Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Moran with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report. Committee 14000 9 Library of Congress ssva00 Veterans' Affairs Committee 2020-08-05 ssva00 Veterans' Affairs Committee Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably. Committee 2019-05-22 ssva00 Veterans' Affairs Committee Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Committee 2019-03-14 ssva00 Veterans' Affairs Committee Senate Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. IntroReferral 2019-03-14 Introduced in Senate IntroReferral 10000 9 Library of Congress T000464 Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT] Jon Tester D MT N B001236 Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR] John Boozman R AR 2019-03-14 True B000944 Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH] Sherrod Brown D OH 2019-03-14 True B001277 Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] Richard Blumenthal D CT 2019-03-14 True S000770 Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI] Debbie Stabenow D MI 2019-03-14 True H001075 Sen. Harris, Kamala D. [D-CA] Kamala Harris D CA D. 2019-03-14 True W000817 Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] Elizabeth Warren D MA A. 2019-03-14 True W000779 Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] Ron Wyden D OR 2019-03-14 True S001181 Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] Jeanne Shaheen D NH 2019-03-14 True B001230 Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] Tammy Baldwin D WI 2019-11-18 False K000367 Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] Amy Klobuchar D MN 2020-01-28 False 2020-10-14T15:00:00Z S. 805, Stopping Harm and Implementing Enhanced Lead-time for Debts for Veterans Act of 2020 https://www.cbo.gov/publication/56676 As reported by the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on September 15, 2020 Armed Forces and National Security Accounting and auditing Administrative remedies Civil actions and liability Computers and information technology Congressional oversight Consumer credit Correctional facilities and imprisonment Debt collection Department of Veterans Affairs Executive agency funding and structure Fraud offenses and financial crimes Government information and archives Government studies and investigations Marriage and family status National Guard and reserves Performance measurement User charges and fees Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation Veterans' pensions and compensation Armed Forces and National Security 00 2019-03-14 Introduced in Senate 2019-12-12T13:41:13Z Veteran Debt Fairness Act of 2019

This bill limits the authority of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to recover overpayments of benefits from veterans. Among other requirements, the VA must update its information technology systems to allow for expedited notification when a veteran incurs a debt via participation in a VA benefits program.

The VA may only deduct the amount of debt of any veteran who is in debt because of participation in a VA benefits program from future benefit payments if the debt is the result of the following:

  • failure to report correct, required information to the VA by the veteran (or other party such as a spouse);
  • fraud or misrepresentation perpetrated by the veteran (or other party);
  • a reduction in or termination of pursuit of a program of education, in the case of a recipient of educational assistance; or
  • failure to complete a service agreement, in the case of the transfer of education assistance.

Additionally, the bill requires the VA to prescribe an administrative process for the dispute of the existence or amount of debt.

The bill also prohibits the VA from recovering certain debt that is more than five years old or withholding more than 25% of certain benefit payments.

Finally, the bill prescribes procedures by which the VA and debt collectors shall correct errors submitted to consumer reporting agencies.


]]> 25 2020-09-15 Reported to Senate 2022-03-01T14:31:07Z Stopping Harm and Implementing Enhanced Lead-time for Debts for Veterans Act of 2020 or the SHIELD for Veterans Act of 2020

This bill updates debt collection and overpayment processes related to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits or programs.

Specifically, the bill prohibits the incursion of debt arising from programs or benefits administered by the VA if the amount is owed for any overpayment that was caused by the amount of time taken by the VA to process information provided by or on behalf of an individual.

If the VA makes an overpayment to an individual, it must provide such individual with notice of the overpayment and an explanation of the individual's right to (1) dispute the overpayment, and (2) request a waiver of indebtedness. In addition, the VA may not take any collection action regarding an overpayment until 90 days after it issues such notice.

The VA must report on its plan for the improvement of the notification and communication processes for individuals who receive overpayments from the VA.

The bill prohibits interest and administrative cost charges on delinquent payments of debt resulting from a person's participation in a VA disability compensation program, pension program, or an educational assistance program.

The VA must establish a minimum debt threshold for when it will report to a consumer reporting agency in relation to a claim or debt arising from receipt of a VA benefit.

The bill extends the window to request relief from the recovery of debt arising from a person's participation in a VA benefit or program from 180 days to 1 year.

The bill requires the VA to prescribe an administrative process for the dispute of the existence or amount of debt. The VA is prohibited from deducting any amount of an individual's debt if the cost of recovery would exceed the amount to be recovered.

The VA must ensure its website and written notices contain all information veterans need regarding how to dispute an indebtedness.

Finally, the VA must ensure that a veteran may remove any dependent from an award of compensation or pension using the VA's system.

]]> SHIELD for Veterans Act of 2020 Display Title SHIELD for Veterans Act of 2020 Short Title(s) as Reported to Senate SHIELD for Veterans Act of 2020 S Senate Reported to Senate RS Short Title(s) as Reported to Senate Stopping Harm and Implementing Enhanced Lead-time for Debts for Veterans Act of 2020 S Senate Reported to Senate RS Short Title(s) as Introduced Veteran Debt Fairness Act of 2019 Introduced in Senate IS Official Title as Introduced A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the processing of veterans benefits by the Department of Veterans Affairs, to limit the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to recover overpayments made by the Department and other amounts owed by veterans to the United States, to improve the due process accorded veterans with respect to such recovery, and for other purposes. Introduced in Senate IS Reported to Senate 2020-09-15T04:00:00Z https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-116s805rs/xml/BILLS-116s805rs.xml Introduced in Senate 2019-03-14T04:00:00Z https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-116s805is/xml/BILLS-116s805is.xml 2020-09-15 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 539. text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress This file contains bill summaries and statuses for federal legislation. A bill summary describes the most significant provisions of a piece of legislation and details the effects the legislative text may have on current law and federal programs. Bill summaries are authored by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the Library of Congress. As stated in Public Law 91-510 (2 USC 166 (d)(6)), one of the duties of CRS is "to prepare summaries and digests of bills and resolutions of a public general nature introduced in the Senate or House of Representatives". For more information, refer to the User Guide that accompanies this file.