Veteran Fraud Reimbursement Act of 2025

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Bill ID: 119/s/892
Last Updated: March 31, 2026

Sponsored by

Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]

ID: H001042

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.

March 11, 2025

Introduced

Committee Review

📍 Current Status

Next: The bill moves to the floor for full chamber debate and voting.

🗳️

Floor Action

Passed Senate

🏛️

House Review

🎉

Passed Congress

🖊️

Presidential Action

⚖️

Became Law

📚 How does a bill become a law?

1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.

2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.

3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.

4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.

5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.

6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.

7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!

Bill Summary

Another masterpiece of legislative theater, courtesy of our esteemed Senators Hirono, Boozman, Gallego, and Tuberville. The Veteran Fraud Reimbursement Act of 2025 - a bill so noble in its intentions, yet so riddled with bureaucratic doublespeak and half-measures.

**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The stated purpose of this bill is to "improve the repayment by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of benefits misused by a fiduciary." Translation: we're going to pretend to care about veterans who've been swindled out of their benefits, while actually doing very little to prevent such abuse in the first place.

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill amends Section 6107 of title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to reissue misused benefits to the affected veteran or their successor fiduciary. Oh, and they'll also make a "good faith effort" to recoup the misused funds from the original fiduciary. Because, you know, good faith efforts are always effective in recovering stolen money.

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** Veterans who've been victimized by fiduciary abuse will supposedly benefit from this bill. But let's be real - they'll still have to navigate a Byzantine bureaucracy to get their benefits reissued. Meanwhile, the actual perpetrators of these abuses - the fiduciaries themselves - will likely face little more than a slap on the wrist.

**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. It doesn't address the systemic issues that allow fiduciary abuse to occur in the first place, such as inadequate oversight and lack of accountability within the VA. Instead, it provides a convenient PR opportunity for our Senators to grandstand about their support for veterans.

In reality, this bill will likely lead to more bureaucratic red tape, increased administrative costs, and further delays in delivering benefits to those who need them most. It's a classic case of "legislative placebo" - designed to make politicians look good while doing nothing to actually solve the problem.

Diagnosis: Legislative Theater with symptoms of Bureaucratic Inertia, Politician's Disease (a.k.a. "I'm-looking-good-but-doing-nothing-itis"), and a healthy dose of Cynicism. Prognosis: More of the same - empty promises, ineffective solutions, and continued suffering for those who actually need help.

Related Topics

Federal Budget & Appropriations Criminal Justice & Law Enforcement Congressional Rules & Procedures Transportation & Infrastructure Government Operations & Accountability National Security & Intelligence Small Business & Entrepreneurship State & Local Government Affairs Civil Rights & Liberties
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💰 Campaign Finance Network

Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$80,400
22 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$14,300
Committees
$0
Individuals
$66,100

No PAC contributions found

1
TUNICA-BILOXI TRIBE OF LA
2 transactions
$5,000
2
THE CHICKASAW NATION
2 transactions
$3,300
3
CHEROKEE NATION
1 transaction
$2,500
4
MS BAND OF CHOCTAW INDIANS
1 transaction
$2,000
5
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
1 transaction
$1,000
6
TONIO BURGOS & ASSOCIATES OF NEW JERSEY, LLC
1 transaction
$500

No committee contributions found

1
DAVIS, JANIE
2 transactions
$6,600
2
KOSASA, MI
2 transactions
$6,600
3
HELM, NELSON JR.
2 transactions
$6,600
4
GURAL, JEFFREY
2 transactions
$6,600
5
CHUAN, JOHANNA
1 transaction
$3,400
6
MINATOISHI, LORRAINE REIKO
1 transaction
$3,300
7
SULLIVAN, MATTHEW K.
1 transaction
$3,300
8
JOHNSON, DAVID
1 transaction
$3,300
9
ERGEN, CANTEY
1 transaction
$3,300
10
SIMMONS, IAN
1 transaction
$3,300
11
NAKANISHI, CRAIG I.
1 transaction
$3,300
12
GATES, MELINDA FRENCH
1 transaction
$3,300
13
FRITZ, COLLIN
1 transaction
$3,300
14
RIVER, HOWARD
1 transaction
$3,300
15
WHITE, PAUL
1 transaction
$3,300
16
SHIN, MARIKO K.
1 transaction
$3,300

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

This bill has 3 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.

Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR]

ID: B001236

Top Contributors

10

1
CHEROKEE NATION
Organization TAHLEQUAH, OK
$3,300
Oct 3, 2024
2
SHAKOPEE MDEKEWAKANTON COMMUNITY
Organization PRIOR LAKE, MN
$3,300
Nov 7, 2023
3
SHAKOPEE MDEKEWAKANTON COMMUNITY
Organization PRIOR LAKE, MN
$3,300
Jun 27, 2024
4
BJERKE, TYLER
HERITAGE INSURANCE SERVICES SALES
Individual FARGO, ND
$5,000
Mar 22, 2023
5
LEPRINO, TERRY
LEPRINO FARMS BOARD DIRECTOR
Individual DENVER, CO
$3,300
Dec 6, 2024
6
POWELL, JESSE
PAYWARD INC. CEO
Individual SAN FRANCISCO, CA
$3,300
Nov 5, 2024
7
POWELL, JESSE
PAYWARD INC. CEO
Individual SAN FRANCISCO, CA
$3,300
Nov 5, 2024
8
STEPHENS, WARREN MR.
STEPHENS INC PRESIDENT
Individual LITTLE ROCK, AR
$3,300
Jul 7, 2023
9
STEPHENS, WARREN MR.
STEPHENS INC PRESIDENT
Individual LITTLE ROCK, AR
$3,300
Jul 7, 2023
10
WALTON, ALICE L.. MS.
SELF-EMPLOYED PHILANTHROPIST
Individual BENTONVILLE, AR
$3,300
Aug 11, 2023

Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ]

ID: G000574

Top Contributors

10

1
NISQUALLY INDIAN TRIBE
Organization OLYMPIA, WA
$3,300
Nov 6, 2023
2
SAN MANUEL BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
Organization HIGHLAND, CA
$3,300
Dec 27, 2023
3
SUQUAMISH INDIAN TRIBE
Organization SUQUAMISH, WA
$3,300
Nov 6, 2023
4
TOHONO O'ODHAM NATION
Organization SELLS, AZ
$3,300
Oct 26, 2023
5
AGUA CALIENTE BAND OF CAHUILLA INDIANS
Organization PALM SPRINGS, CA
$3,300
Oct 21, 2024
6
SNOQUALMIE TRIBE
Organization SNOQUALMIE, WA
$3,300
Oct 25, 2024
7
VIEJAS BAND OF KUMEYAAY INDIANS
Organization ALPINE, CA
$3,300
Nov 4, 2024
8
AGUA CALIENTE BAND OF CAHUILLA INDIANS
Organization PALM SPRINGS, CA
$3,300
Jan 8, 2024
9
NOTTAWASEPPI HURON BAND OF THE POTAWATOMI
Organization FULTON, MI
$3,300
Mar 26, 2024
10
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
Organization ATMORE, AL
$3,300
Mar 28, 2024

Sen. Tuberville, Tommy [R-AL]

ID: T000278

Top Contributors

10

1
BROAD METRO LLC
Organization OLD WESTBURY, NY
$3,300
Apr 18, 2023
2
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
Organization ATMORE, AL
$3,300
Apr 28, 2023
3
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
Organization ATMORE, AL
$2,900
Feb 20, 2023
4
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
Organization ATMORE, AL
$2,900
Apr 28, 2023
5
SUMMERLIN FARMS
Organization MOULTRIE, GA
$1,000
Oct 8, 2023
6
KENT HANCE BUSINESS
Organization LUBBOCK, TX
$1,000
Aug 17, 2023
7
SUMMERLIN FARMS
Organization MOULTRIE, GA
$1,000
Sep 8, 2023
8
KENT HANCE BUSINESS
Organization LUBBOCK, TX
$1,000
Sep 16, 2023
9
BEACH ICE LLC
Organization MOULTRIE, GA
$500
Oct 8, 2023
10
LEELAND VENTURES LLC
Organization HAMPTON COVE, AL
$500
Dec 4, 2023

Donor Network - Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

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Showing 31 nodes and 37 connections

Total contributions: $109,700

Top Donors - Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]

Showing top 22 donors by contribution amount

6 Orgs16 Individuals