Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act of 2025

The Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act of 2025 adds a new federal crime to 18 U.S.C. Chapter 63 (Fraud) called “Fraud regarding veterans’ benefits.” The offense makes it illegal to knowingly carry out or attempt to carry out a scheme to defraud a veteran’s benefits, or to participate in obtaining veterans’ benefits for a veteran or for that individual. Violators could be fined, imprisoned for up to five years, or both. The statute defines “veteran” using the existing definition in 38 U.S.C. 101 and defines “veterans’ benefits” as any benefit provided by federal law to a veteran or to a dependent or survivor of a veteran. The bill also adds the new section to the table of sections for Chapter 63. In short, the bill creates a targeted federal crime to deter and punish fraud involving veterans’ benefits, reinforcing protections for veterans, their dependents, and survivors and giving prosecutors a dedicated tool to pursue such fraud.