Veterans Benefits Information Protection Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8120
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-03-26: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-10T20:22:28Z
AI-Generated Summary
Veterans Benefits Information Protection Act (H.R. 8120)
Purpose
To protect federal government phone lines by restricting the use of certain automated calling equipment when contacting numbers assigned to U.S. departments or agencies, particularly to safeguard information related to veterans' benefits.
Key Provisions
- Amends Section 227(b)(1) of the Communications Act of 1934 (part of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, or TCPA, which regulates unwanted calls).
- Prohibits any call to a federal department or agency phone number using equipment that:
- Can automatically make repeated calls to the number without additional human input after starting.
- Can send and receive information through those calls.
- Is operated by someone other than the person or entity directly involved with the information being shared (e.g., not the federal agency itself or the intended recipient).
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Adds a new subparagraph (E) to the TCPA's list of prohibited calls, specifically targeting automated systems contacting federal numbers.
- Makes minor punctuation adjustments to existing subparagraphs (C) and (D) to accommodate the new provision.
- Expands TCPA restrictions beyond typical consumer protections to explicitly shield government phone lines from unauthorized automated interactions.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Reduces harassment, spam, or fraudulent automated calls to federal lines (e.g., Veterans Affairs), freeing up resources and improving operational efficiency.
- Citizens and businesses: Limits third-party use of robocall-like technology for contacting feds, potentially curbing scams targeting veterans' benefits info; legitimate automated systems operated by the relevant parties (e.g., agencies themselves) remain allowed.
- No direct impact on international relations.
Main Stakeholders
- Federal departments and agencies (primary beneficiaries, e.g., VA for veterans' benefits).
- Callers and entities using automated equipment (restricted, including potential scammers or marketers).
- Veterans and benefit recipients (indirectly protected from misinformation or fraud via federal lines).
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens TCPA enforcement by closing a loophole for automated calls to government numbers; potential for fines or penalties under existing TCPA rules (up to $1,500 per violation).
- Constitutional: Aligns with First Amendment limits on commercial speech and prior court rulings upholding robocall restrictions; no apparent free speech or due process issues.
- Political: Bipartisan sponsorship (Dems. Pappas and R. Bacon); focuses on veteran protections, likely appealing across party lines without major controversy.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (3)
Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2], Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17], Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]
Recent Actions
- 2026-03-26: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 2026-03-26: Introduced in House
- 2026-03-26: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Veterans Benefits Information Protection Act — issued 2026-03-26 — PDF (2 pages)