This bill would change Title 38 of the U.S. Code by adding a new section (5501B). The new section would stop the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from sending a veteran or beneficiary's personally identifiable information to the Department of Justice for use in the national instant criminal background check system (NICS) solely because the Secretary decided to pay benefits to a fiduciary for that beneficiary. The prohibition would not apply if a judge, magistrate, or other judicial authority of competent jurisdiction issues an order or finding that the beneficiary is a danger to themselves or others. The bill also updates the chapter table of contents to add the new section.
No publicly available information on costs, budgetary effects, or a Congressional Budget Office score in the bill text or provided metadata.
The bill text and metadata show sponsors introduced the measure to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from transmitting personally identifiable beneficiary information to the Department of Justice for use by NICS when the only basis is the VA's decision to pay benefits to a fiduciary. The prohibition would be lifted if a judge or other judicial authority issues an order or finding that the beneficiary is a danger to themselves or others. The bill was introduced in the Senate and was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs; hearings were held and printed (S.Hrg. 119-35).
No publicly available information on opposition views or formal statements opposing the bill in the provided bill text and metadata.