Summary

Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to promptly restore benefits that a fiduciary misused by paying the veteran (or a successor fiduciary or eligible recipient) an amount equal to the misused benefits, while trying to recoup those amounts from the culpable fiduciary and passing any recovered funds back to the veteran. The VA must set methods and timing to check whether misuse was related to VA negligence, but it cannot delay payments while that review happens.

• VA must reissue to the beneficiary or successor fiduciary the amount of benefits misused by a fiduciary.
• VA must try in good faith to recover misused funds from the culpable fiduciary and pass recovered funds to the beneficiary.
• Payments cannot exceed the total amount that was misused.
• If the beneficiary dies, VA pays the appropriate recipient under existing deceased-beneficiary rules but not a fiduciary who misused funds.
• VA must create methods and timing to assess whether misuse resulted from VA negligence, but may not delay payments while doing so.
• The VA is not required to make a negligence finding in every misuse case.
• No specific appropriation or new benefit program is created; the change directs VA payment and administrative actions.
• Intended to speed relief to veterans harmed by fiduciary misuse and to ensure recovered funds flow back to victims.