S. 263Senate118th Congress (2023-2025)In Committee

Restoring Benefits to Defrauded Veterans Act of 2023

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Updated January 20, 2026 at 2:59 AM UTC

The Restoring Benefits to Defrauded Veterans Act of 2023 changes the law so that the Department of Veterans Affairs must return benefits to the estates of veterans who die before receiving them, especially when those benefits were misused by a fiduciary. It sets a clear order for who receives the money – first the veteran’s estate, then a successor fiduciary, and finally the next inheritor determined by a court. The bill also bars the VA from making payments to a fiduciary who has misused a beneficiary’s benefits. It affects deceased veterans’ beneficiaries, their estates, and any fiduciaries handling veteran benefits.

Key Provisions

Adds a new rule that if a veteran beneficiary dies before a benefit payment is made, the VA must pay the amount to the beneficiary’s estate, then to a successor fiduciary, and finally to the next inheritor as ordered by a court.
Prohibits the VA from making any payment to a fiduciary who has misused the veteran’s benefits.
Rearranges existing subsections in the law and updates language to reflect the new repayment requirements.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

February 2, 2023

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

February 2, 2023

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

February 2, 2023

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued February 2, 2023

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 263

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 2, 2023

Mr. Manchin (for himself and Mr. Tuberville) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to repay the estates of deceased beneficiaries for certain benefits paid by the Secretary and misused by fiduciaries of such beneficiaries, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Restoring Benefits to Defrauded Veterans Act of 2023.

Repayment by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of estates of deceased beneficiaries for certain benefits paid by the Secretary and misused by fiduciaries

Section 6107 of title 38, United States Code, is amended—

(1)

by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections (d) and (e), respectively;

(2)

by inserting after subsection (b) the following new subsection (c):

(c)

Reissuance of amounts in the case of a deceased beneficiary

(1)

If a beneficiary described in subsection (a) predeceases a payment under subsection (a) or (b), the Secretary shall pay such benefits, subject to paragraph (2), to an individual or entity in the following order:

(A)

The estate of the beneficiary.

(B)

A successor fiduciary serving the beneficiary when the beneficiary died.

(C)

The next inheritor determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.

(2)

The Secretary may not make a payment under this subsection to a fiduciary who misused benefits of the beneficiary.

; and

(3)

in subsection (e), as redesignated, by striking subsection (a) or (b) and inserting this section.