Protect Veterans from Financial Fraud Act of 2019
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to pay a beneficiary (or beneficiary's successor fiduciary) the amount of the misused benefit when any fiduciary has misused all or part of an individual's benefit. Specifically, the bill requires this payment in any case not involving negligent failure by the VA to investigate or monitor a fiduciary but where a fiduciary misuses all or part of an individual's benefit. The bill removes the stipulation that the fiduciary (1) not be an individual, or (2) serve at least 10 beneficiaries for the VA to repay misused benefits.
An adverse determination by the VA of a veteran's mental capacity to manage VA monetary benefits may be appealed in accordance with provisions governing the Board of Veterans' Appeals and the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.