VSAFE Act of 2025

The bill would add a new section to title 38 of the U.S. Code creating a Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer within the Department of Veterans Affairs. The officer would serve as a central point of contact directing veterans to anti-fraud resources, develop consistent guidance for VA employees and veterans' families on recognizing and reporting scams, promote the VSAFE Fraud Hotline and VSAFE.gov, and build internal training programs. The officer would also monitor fraud metrics and coordinate with a broad list of federal agencies — including the IRS, DOJ, CFPB, and Department of Defense — to support a whole-of-government fraud prevention approach.

The bill explicitly prohibits the VA from increasing the number of authorized full-time employees to fill this role, meaning it must be staffed from existing personnel. The officer's authorities would automatically expire on September 30, 2030. Separately, the bill would extend a date-specific deadline in the pension-payment-limits provision at 38 U.S.C. § 5503(d)(7) by two months, from January 31 to March 31, 2033.

Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors who may be targeted by fraud or scams and who would benefit from improved VA guidance and resource referrals. VA employees who handle fraud inquiries would receive new training. Federal agencies listed as coordination partners — including the IRS, DOJ, CFPB, and Social Security Administration — would interact with the new officer. Veterans service organizations and state, local, and tribal governments are also included as consultees.

Veterans are disproportionately targeted by identity theft and financial scams. A dedicated VA officer with cross-agency coordination duties and a mandate to track fraud trends could centralize resources and close gaps in current reporting and response. The prohibition on new full-time hires, however, means the office's effectiveness would depend on how existing staff capacity is reallocated. The automatic 2030 sunset means Congress would need to act to make it permanent.

The VSAFE Officer would operate within existing VA staffing levels, staffed from current employees. The officer would develop training plans for VA staff, establish internal reporting and data analytics on fraud trends, and coordinate with more than a dozen federal agencies. Outreach to veterans service organizations and state, local, and tribal governments is required as needed. The bill does not specify a rulemaking requirement or prescribe a reporting cadence to Congress, but the officer's role includes both internal and external reporting functions. All authorities terminate on September 30, 2030, unless reauthorized.