,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fjah  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,february #bh1       
#bjbj,mr4 ,correa introduced the        
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to authorize the ,secretary 
of ,veterans ,affairs to collect        
overpayments of specially adapted       
housing assistance4  #a4 ,collection of 
overpayments of specially adapted       
housing assistance ,section #bajb of    
title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is    
amended by adding at the end the        
following new subsection3  7f7 7#a7     
,whenever the ,secretary finds that an  
overpayment has been made to1 or on     
behalf of1 a person described in        
paragraph 7#b71 the ,secretary shall    
determine--  7,a7 the amounts to        
recover1 if any2 and  7,b7 who is liable
 to the ,united ,states for such        
overpayment4  7#b7 ,a person described  
in this paragraph is any of the         
following3 7,a7 ,an individual who--    

7i7 applied for assistance under this   
chapter2 or  7ii7 under chapter #ca of  
this title who is pursuing a            
rehabilitation program under such       
chapter in acquiring adaptations to a   
residence4  7,b7 ,an owner or seller of 
real estate related to assistance under 
this chapter4  7,c7 ,a builder1         
contractor1 supplier1 tradesperson1     
corporation1 trust1 partnership1 or     
other person1 related to assistance     
under this chapter4  7,d7 ,an attorney1 
escrow agent1 or financial institution1 
that receives1 or holds in escrow1 funds
 relating to assistance under this      
chapter4  7,e7 ,a surviving spouse1     
heir1 assignee1 or successor in interest
 of or to1 any person described in this 
paragraph4  7#c7 ,any overpayment       
referred to in this subsection may be   
recovered in the same manner as any     
other debt due the ,united ,states4 ,in 
recovering the overpayment1 the         
,secretary may charge administrative    
costs1 fees1 and interest1 as           

appropriate1 in a manner similar to the 
authority under section #ecae of this   
title4  7#d7 ,the recovery of any       
overpayment referred to in this         
subsection may be waived by the         
,secretary4 ,waiver of any such         
overpayment as to a person described in 
paragraph 7#b7 shall in no way release  
any other person described in such      
paragraph from liability4  7#e7 ,the    
,secretary shall waive recovery under   
this subsection of any overpayment--    
7,a7 to a person described in paragraph 
7#b77;,a71 or a dependent or survivor of
 such person2 and  7,b7 that arises from
 administrative error described in      
paragraph 7#g77;,a74  7#f7 ,nothing in  
this section shall be construed as      
precluding the imposition of any civil  
or criminal liability under this title  
or any other law4  7#g7 ,the ,secretary 
shall prescribe in regulations what     
constitutes an overpayment for the      
purposes of this subsection1 which1 at a
 minimum1 shall include-- 7,a7          

administrative error that results in an 
individual receiving assistance to which
 that individual is not entitled2  7,b7 
the failure of any person described in  
paragraph 7#b7 to-- 7i7 perform or allow
 to be performed any act relating to    
assistance under this chapter2 or  7ii7 
compensate any party performing services
 or supplying goods relating to         
assistance under this chapter2 and  7,c7
 any disbursement of funds relating to  
assistance under this chapter1 that1 in 
the sole discretion of the ,secretary1  
constitutes a misuse of such assistance4
  7#h7 ,prior to collecting an          
overpayment under this subsection1 the  
,secretary shall provide to the person  
whom the ,secretary has determined      
liable for such overpayment-- 7,a7      
notice of the finding by the ,secretary 
of such overpayment2  7,b7 a reasonable 
opportunity for such person to remedy   
the circumstances that effectuated the  
overpayment2 and  7,c7 a reasonable     
opportunity for such person to present  

evidence to the ,secretary that an      
overpayment was not made4  7#i7 ,for the
 purposes of section #eaa of this title1
 a decision to collect an overpayment   
from a person other than a person       
described in paragraph 7#b77;,a71 or a  
dependent or survivor of such person1   
may not be treated as a decision that   
affects the provision of benefits4  4