Mobile Courant

Last night, the U.S. Senate passed the Restoring Benefits to Defrauded Veterans Act, legislation introduced by Senator Tuberville to reissue benefits to veterans who have been defrauded. The bill will now proceed to President Biden for signing into law.

“We’d like to believe we live in a country where no one would take advantage of our veterans, but sadly it does happen. What’s worse is if the money that was lost to fraud is never returned. This bill attempts to help right that wrong by ensuring a veteran’s estate can be reimbursed for any funds that were lost to fraud should the veteran pass away before the funds have been reimbursed. It’s my priority to find ways to make the government work better for the American people, and this bill is a small step toward doing just that for our veterans,” said Senator Tuberville.

As Alabama’s representative on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Senator Tuberville has introduced several pieces of legislation aimed at assisting veterans and their families. This includes the Supporting Families of the Fallen Act, which became law in 2022. The Restoring Benefits to Defrauded Veterans Act was initially introduced by Senator Tuberville along with Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV) in 2022 and was reintroduced in February 2023.

Under current law, if a veteran passes away before the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA OIG) determines that they were defrauded of their benefits, those funds are not distributed to their family or estate. This new legislation aims to change that statute so that a deceased beneficiary’s estate can receive reissued funds.

The Restoring Benefits to Defrauded Veterans Act has received endorsements from several organizations including Paralyzed Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Wounded Warrior Project, and the American Legion.

Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and serves on multiple committees including Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, and HELP Committees.