shall apply with respect to an individual who dies on or 
after October 1, 2019. 
TITLE III—PENSION MATTERS 
SEC. 301. PLAN TO ADDRESS THE FINANCIAL EXPLOI-
TATION OF VETERANS RECEIVING PENSION 
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF-
FAIRS. 
(a) DEVELOPMENT OF METHOD FOR SOLICITATION 
AND COLLECTION OF INFORMATION.—Not later than one 
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs shall develop a method for sys-
tematically soliciting and collecting information on com-
plaints received, referrals made, and actions taken by the 
pension management centers of the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs and any other relevant components of the 
Department, in cases of potential financial exploitation of 
individuals receiving pension under chapter 15 of title 38, 
United States Code. 
(b) PLAN TO ASSESS AND ADDRESS FINANCIAL EX-
PLOITATION OF VETERANS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall develop 
and periodically update a plan— 
(A) to regularly assess the information so-
licited and collected under subsection (a) to 
identify trends of potential financial exploitation 
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of the individuals described in subsection (a) 
across the Department; and 
(B) to outline actions that the Department 
can take to improve education and training to 
address those trends. 
(2) SUBMISSION OF PLAN.—Not later than one 
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and 
not less frequently than once every two years there-
after, the Secretary shall submit the plan most re-
cently developed or updated under paragraph (1) 
to— 
(A) the Comptroller General of the United 
States; and 
(B) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
and the Special Committee on Aging of the 
Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
of the House of Representatives. 
(3) TERMINATION.—The requirement to submit 
a plan under this subsection shall terminate on the 
date that is six years after the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
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SEC. 302. OVERPAYMENTS OF PENSION TO VETERANS RE-
CEIVING PENSION FROM THE DEPARTMENT 
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) GUIDANCE AND TRAINING FOR CLAIMS PROC-
ESSORS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—As the Secretary considers 
necessary, but not less frequently than once every 
three years, the Under Secretary for Benefits of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs shall update guid-
ance and training curriculum for the processors of 
claims for pension under chapter 15 of title 38, 
United States Code, regarding the evaluation of 
questionable medical expenses on applications for 
pension, including by updating such guidance with 
respect to what constitutes a questionable medical 
expense and by including examples of such expenses. 
(2) TERMINATION.—The requirement to update 
guidance and training curriculum under paragraph 
(1) shall terminate on the date that is ten years 
after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(b) IDENTIFICATION AND TRACKING.—The Under 
Secretary shall develop a method for identifying and track-
ing the number of individuals who have received overpay-
ments of pension under chapter 15 of title 38, United 
States Code. 
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(c) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, and not later than 
October 31 of each of the two subsequent fiscal years, the 
Under Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that 
includes, for the period covered by the report— 
(1) the number of individuals who received 
overpayments of pension under chapter 15 of title 
38, United States Code; and 
(2) the top five reasons for such overpayments. 
SEC. 303. EVALUATION OF ADDITIONAL ACTIONS FOR 
VERIFYING DIRECT DEPOSIT INFORMATION 
PROVIDED BY VETERANS ON APPLICATIONS 
FOR VETERANS PENSION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary for Benefits 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall— 
(1) conduct an evaluation of the feasibility and 
advisability of requiring the processors of claims for 
pension under chapter 15 of title 38, United States 
Code, to take additional actions to verify that the di-
rect deposit information provided by an individual on 
an application for pension is for the appropriate re-
cipient; and 
(2) identify such legislative or administrative 
actions as the Under Secretary considers appropriate 
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to ensure that payments of pension are provided to 
the correct recipients. 
(b) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 240 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Under Secretary shall submit to Congress a report 
on the evaluation and identification under subsection 
(a). 
(2) CONTENTS.—The report required by para-
graph (1) shall include the following: 
(A) The findings of the Under Secretary 
with respect to the evaluation conducted under 
subsection (a)(1). 
(B) The actions identified under subsection 
(a)(2). 
(C) A plan for implementing any adminis-
trative actions identified under subsection 
(a)(2). 
(D) A rationale for not implementing any 
actions evaluated under paragraph (1) of sub-
section (a) but not identified under paragraph 
(2) of such subsection. 
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SEC. 304. ANNUAL REPORT ON EFFORTS OF DEPARTMENT 
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO ADDRESS THE FI-
NANCIAL EXPLOITATION OF VETERANS RE-
CEIVING PENSION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not less frequently than once 
each year, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit 
to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and 
the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Rep-
resentatives a report on efforts to address the financial 
exploitation of individuals receiving pension under chapter 
15 of title 38, United States Code. 
(b) CONTENTS.—Each report required by subsection 
(a) shall include, for the period covered by the report, the 
following: 
(1) The number of individuals who received 
pension under chapter 15 of title 38, United States 
Code, who have been referred by any component of 
the Department of Veterans Affairs to the Office of 
Inspector General of the Department as likely or 
proven victims of financial exploitation. 
(2) The number of referrals and reports relat-
ing to the financial exploitation of such individuals 
made by the Department of Veterans Affairs to— 
(A) the Consumer Sentinel Network of the 
Federal Trade Commission; and 
(B) the Department of Justice. 
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(3) A description of the actions taken as a re-
sult of such referrals and reports against— 
(A) individuals recognized by the Secretary 
as agents or attorneys under section 5904 of 
title 38, United States Code; and 
(B) individuals not so recognized. 
(c) TERMINATION.—The requirement to submit a re-
port under subsection (a) shall terminate on the date that 
is four years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 305. NOTICE REGARDING FEES CHARGED IN CONNEC-
TION WITH FILING AN APPLICATION FOR 
VETERANS PENSION. 
The Under Secretary for Benefits of the Department 
of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that every paper or elec-
tronic document relating to the receipt of pension under 
chapter 15 of title 38, United States Code, that is avail-
able to individuals who apply for such pension, including 
educational forms about or applications for such pension, 
includes a notice that the Department does not charge any 
fee in connection with the filing of an application for such 
pension. 
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SEC. 306. OUTREACH PLAN FOR EDUCATING VULNERABLE 
VETERANS ABOUT POTENTIAL FINANCIAL EX-
PLOITATION RELATING TO THE RECEIPT OF 
PENSION. 
(a) DEVELOPMENT OF PLAN.—The Under Secretary 
for Benefits of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall 
develop, in collaboration with veterans service organiza-
tions, an outreach plan for educating vulnerable individ-
uals about potential financial exploitation relating to the 
receipt of pension under chapter 15 of title 38, United 
States Code. 
(b) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under 
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Af-
fairs and the Special Committee on Aging of the Senate 
and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of 
Representatives the plan developed under subsection (a). 
(c) VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATION DEFINED.— 
In this section, the term ‘‘veterans service organization’’ 
means an organization recognized by the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs for the representation of veterans under sec-
tion 5902 of title 38, United States Code. 
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SEC. 307. PENALTIES FOR REPRESENTING VETERANS AS 
AGENTS AND ATTORNEYS WITHOUT REC-
OGNITION BY SECRETARY OF VETERANS AF-
FAIRS. 
(a) PENALTIES.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Section 5905 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘§ 5905. Penalty for certain acts 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Whoever commits any of the fol-
lowing acts shall be fined as provided in title 18, or impris-
oned for not more than one year, or both: 
‘‘(1) Undertakes or attempts to undertake any 
work in furtherance of the preparation, presentation, 
or prosecution of a claim under a law administered 
by the Secretary— 
‘‘(A) without recognition by the Secretary 
under sections 5902 through 5904 of this title; 
or 
‘‘(B) while suspended or excluded under 
section 5904(b) of this title. 
‘‘(2) Unlawfully withholds from any claimant or 
beneficiary any part of a benefit or claim under the 
laws administered by the Secretary that is allowed 
and due to the claimant or beneficiary. 
‘‘(b) SEEKING RECOGNITION.—Subsection (a)(1)(A) 
shall not be construed to include the seeking of recognition 
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from the Secretary to prepare, present, or prosecute a 
claim under a law administered by the Secretary. 
‘‘(c) LEGAL INTERNS, LAW STUDENTS, AND PARA-
LEGALS.—Subsection (a)(1)(A) shall not apply to a legal 
intern, a law student, or a paralegal undertaking or at-
tempting to undertake work in furtherance of the prepara-
tion, presentation, or prosecution of a claim under a law 
administered by the Secretary to the degree that such 
legal intern, law student, or paralegal is doing so— 
‘‘(1) on behalf of or under the supervision of an 
attorney recognized by the Secretary under sections 
5902 through 5904 of this title; and 
‘‘(2) in a manner that is consistent with the 
Model Rules of Professional Conduct of the Amer-
ican Bar Association.’’. 
(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made 
by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to acts 
committed after the date that is 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act. 
(b) BIENNIAL REVIEW OF RECOGNITION OF AGENTS 
AND ATTORNEYS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not less frequently than 
once every two years, the General Counsel of the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Con-
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gress a report on activities under section 5904 of 
title 38, United States Code. 
(2) CONTENTS OF REPORTS.—Each report sub-
mitted under paragraph (1) shall include, for the pe-
riod covered by the report, the following: 
(A) A discussion of the rates generally 
charged for services covered by section 5904 of 
title 38, United States Code. 
(B) A discussion of the requests made by 
claimants under subsection (c)(3)(A) of such 
section. 
(C) A discussion of the fees reduced under 
such subsection. 
(D) The number of claims for benefits 
under laws administered by the Secretary that 
were prepared, presented, or prosecuted by an 
individual acting as an agent or attorney who 
did so while not recognized under such section. 
(3) TERMINATION.—The requirement to submit 
a report under this subsection shall terminate on the 
date that is seven years after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act. 
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