I 
119TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7319 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to recoup amounts of awards, bonuses, and relocation expenses 
paid to former employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs under 
certain conditions. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 2, 2026 
Mr. SELF (for himself and Mr. CISCOMANI) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to recoup amounts of 
awards, bonuses, and relocation expenses paid to former 
employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs under 
certain conditions. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘VA Bonus and Reloca-
tion Recovery Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. AUTHORITY TO RECOUP AWARDS, BONUSES, AND 
RELOCATION EXPENSES PAID TO FORMER 
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS EM-
PLOYEES UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS. 
(a) AWARDS AND BONUSES.—Section 721 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by inserting ‘‘, or a 
former employee of the Department,’’ after ‘‘an em-
ployee of the Department’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(c) AUTHORITY TO COLLECT FROM FORMER EM-
PLOYEES.—(1) If the Director upholds an order of the 
Secretary under subsection (a) with respect to an indi-
vidual who is a former employee of the Department, and 
such individual does not repay the amount of the award 
or bonus subject to the order within 180 days after the 
date of the final decision of the Director under subsection 
(b) with respect to the order, the Secretary may recover 
such amount from the former employee in the same man-
ner as any other debt due to the United States. 
‘‘(2) Nothing in this subsection may be construed to 
permit the Secretary to waive the recovery of such amount 
under section 5302 of this title.’’. 
(b) RELOCATION EXPENSES.—Section 723 of such 
title is amended— 
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(1) in subsection (a), by inserting ‘‘, or a 
former employee of the Department,’’ after ‘‘an em-
ployee of the Department’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(c) AUTHORITY TO COLLECT FROM FORMER EM-
PLOYEES.—(1) If the Director upholds an order of the 
Secretary under subsection (a) with respect to an indi-
vidual who is a former employee of the Department, and 
such individual does not repay the amount of the award 
or bonus subject to the order within 180 days after the 
date of the final decision of the Director under subsection 
(b) with respect to the order, the Secretary may recover 
such amount from the former employee in the same man-
ner as any other debt due to the United States. 
‘‘(2) Nothing in this subsection may be construed to 
permit the Secretary to waive the recovery of such amount 
under section 5302 of this title.’’. 
Æ 
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