-CITE-

    38 USC Sec. 5905                                            01/03/05

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    TITLE 38 - VETERANS' BENEFITS

    PART IV - GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS

    CHAPTER 59 - AGENTS AND ATTORNEYS

-HEAD-

    Sec. 5905. Penalty for certain acts

-STATUTE-

      Whoever (1) directly or indirectly solicits, contracts for,

    charges, or receives, or attempts to solicit, contract for, charge,

    or receive, any fee or compensation except as provided in sections

    5904 or 1984 of this title, or (2) wrongfully withholds from any

    claimant or beneficiary any part of a benefit or claim allowed and

    due to the claimant or beneficiary, shall be fined as provided in

    title 18, or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

-SOURCE-

    (Pub. L. 85-857, Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1239, Sec. 3405; Pub. L.

    99-576, title VII, Sec. 701(81), Oct. 28, 1986, 100 Stat. 3298;

    Pub. L. 100-687, div. A, title I, Sec. 104(b), Nov. 18, 1988, 102

    Stat. 4109; renumbered Sec. 5905 and amended Pub. L. 102-40, title

    IV, Sec. 402(b)(1), (d)(1), May 7, 1991, 105 Stat. 238, 239; Pub.

    L. 102-83, Sec. 5(c)(1), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 406.)

-MISC1-

                                AMENDMENTS                            

      1991 - Pub. L. 102-40 renumbered section 3405 of this title as

    this section and substituted "5904" for "3404".

      Pub. L. 102-83 substituted "1984" for "784".

      1988 - Pub. L. 100-687 substituted "shall be fined as provided in

    title 18, or imprisoned not more than one year, or both" for "shall

    be fined not more than $500 or imprisoned at hard labor for not

    more than two years, or both".

      1986 - Pub. L. 99-576 substituted "to the claimant or

    beneficiary" for "him".

                     EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1988 AMENDMENT                 

      Amendment by Pub. L. 100-687 effective Sept. 1, 1989, see section

    401(a) of Pub. L. 100-687, set out as an Effective Date note under

    section 7251 of this title.