U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., brought out two bills on Tuesday to crack down on fraud targeting veterans. Rooney, who served in the Army and taught at West Point, serves on the U.S. House Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee.
Pointing toward increased fraud involving veterans, Rooney said that was the result of increased benefits.
Rooney’s “Secure Legal Services for Veterans Act" would make charging illegal fees for filing a VA claim a misdemeanor with fines and making it punishable with as much as one year in prison. This bill was sent to the U.S. House Veterans Affairs Committee on Tuesday.
The Florida congressman also brought out the “Veterans Protection Enhancement Act” which increases federal penalties if conmen deliberately target veterans. This bill was referred to the U.S. House Justice Committee on Tuesday. Neither bill has a Senate companion yet.
Currently, it is illegal for anyone outside of approved agents and attorneys to charge a fee to help file VA benefits. Rooney said this has led to increased fraud against veterans and insisted his bills would help end this growing problem.
“Anyone who deliberately seeks out our most vulnerable veterans for a financial fraud deserves to face a harsh penalty,” Rooney said on Tuesday. “Our veterans served and sacrificed to protect us; these bills will help protect them from being the target of criminal activity.”
Rooney crafted a team of bipartisan supporters for both bills with U.S. Rep. Madeline Bordallo, D-Guam, U.S. Rep. Robert Brady, D-Pa., U.S. Rep. Scott Rigell, R-Va., and U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., as original co-sponsors. The Association of the United States Navy, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the National Association of County Veteran Service Officers and the American Ex Prisoners of War are also behind Rooney’s bills.
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