119-HR-1663 Journalist Public Summary

Headline Summary

The VSAFE Act would set up a Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion Officer at the Department of Veterans Affairs to lead scam‑prevention efforts and steer veterans to help, with costs offset by a short extension of an existing $90 pension limit for certain nursing‑home residents. (congress.gov)

What It Does

- Establishes a Veterans Scam and Fraud Evasion (VSAFE) Officer at VA to coordinate fraud/scam prevention, response planning, and serve as a central contact for veterans and families. The officer must promote a VSAFE fraud hotline and VSAFE.gov, provide guidance and training, track scam metrics, and coordinate with other federal agencies and veterans groups. (congress.gov)

- Includes a “no new FTEs authorized” clause for VA; however, the Congressional Budget Office estimates VA would need about four staff (the officer plus three support) at a cost of roughly $12 million over 2025–2035, subject to appropriations. (congress.gov)

- Offsets costs by extending through January 30, 2032 an existing cap that limits certain VA pension payments to $90/month for veterans and survivors in Medicaid‑covered nursing facilities. CBO expects this 61‑day extension to reduce net direct spending by about $8 million over 2025–2035 (lower VA outlays partly offset by higher Medicaid costs). (congress.gov)

Who’s For It

• Sponsor Rep. Ken Calvert (R‑CA) and House Veterans’ Affairs Chair Mike Bost (R‑IL) backed the bill as a way to centralize VA anti‑fraud efforts and outreach. (calvert.house.gov)
• House Veterans’ Affairs Committee reported the bill favorably on October 21, 2025, after adopting a substitute amendment refining the VSAFE officer’s role and coordination duties. (congress.gov)
• Senate interest exists: a companion bill (S.2683) led by Sen. John Cornyn (R‑TX) with bipartisan co‑sponsors received a committee hearing on December 10, 2025. (congress.gov)

Who’s Against It

No organized opposition has been recorded publicly; the House passed the bill by voice vote under suspension (a procedure often used for broadly supported measures). However, two points of contention surfaced in committee: (calvert.house.gov)

• Cost offset: The bill pays for itself by extending the $90/month pension cap for certain nursing‑home residents, which reduces VA benefits for that period and shifts some costs to Medicaid. Supporters call it a modest, temporary extension; critics could view it as trimming benefits for a vulnerable group. (congress.gov)
• Scope of training: Democrats proposed requiring the VSAFE officer to address specific scam types (e.g., impostor, investment, and pension‑poaching schemes); that amendment failed, and Minority Views flagged the gap. (congress.gov)

What’s Next

The House passed H.R. 1663 on January 20, 2026, by voice vote under suspension. The bill now moves to the Senate, where a similar measure (S.2683) has been introduced and held a hearing; if the Senate passes either version, the chambers would reconcile any differences before sending a final bill to the President. (calvert.house.gov)