The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has updated its regulations to adjust for inflation the civil monetary penalties under its jurisdiction. This action is aligned with the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act and is mandatory for ensuring penalties keep their deterrent power. For 2025, the penalties for false certifications related to VA-guaranteed loans have been increased from $27,894 to $28,619, and penalties for false claims to VA have risen from $13,946 to $14,308. The changes take effect on January 10, 2025, and were made without public comments due to the statutory requirements.
Simple Explanation
The Department of Veterans Affairs is making the fines they use to punish people who break the rules a little bit bigger, like how prices of things usually go up over time, to make sure these fines still work well to stop rule-breaking. This was done without asking people what they think because the law says they have to do it every year.