Schiavo celebrates passage of bill aiming to protect veterans

News release

The state Assembly has passed the Protecting Veterans from Predatory Practices Act (Senate Bill 694), a measure to protect veterans from predatory practices when applying for disability benefits they have earned through their service, according to a news release from the office of Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, D-Chatsworth. 

Schiavo, chair of the Assembly Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs and principal co-author of the bill with Sen. Bob Archuletta, D-Pico Rivera, celebrated the bill’s passage as a critical step forward in protecting California veterans from exploitation, the release said. 

The Protecting Veterans from Predatory Practices Act strengthens state protections that align with federal law that prevents veterans from being charged exorbitant and illegal fees by unaccredited “claims consultants,” the release said. 

These companies, often referred to as “claims sharks,” have been known to charge disabled veterans as much as $22,000 for services that County Veterans Service Officers and accredited Veterans Service Organizations provide free of charge. 

“Veterans deserve protection, not predatory contracts,” Schiavo said in the release. “As the daughter of a disabled veteran and chair of the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, I am proud to co-author SB 694 to stop corporate predators that take millions each year out of the pockets of disabled veterans. This bill makes sure that the benefits our veterans earned through their service go directly to them and their families, not into the hands of profiteers. There is an existing accreditation process, but claim sharks choose not to go through it — they choose profit over people, charging disabled veterans thousands of dollars for services that federal law requires to be free.” 

The act builds on federal law enacted in 2006 to prohibit unaccredited individuals from charging veterans for filing initial disability claims. By updating California law to reflect those federal standards, the bill strengthens enforcement and ensures veterans are protected at the state level and empowers the Attorney General to step in to protect veterans when they for profit corporations break the law and prey on disabled veterans, the release said.  

“Every year, we see veterans who lose thousands of dollars to unaccredited companies promising quick results. SB 694 puts an end to this exploitation and strengthens the protections veterans deserve,” David West, president of the California Association of County Veterans Services Officers, said in the release. “We are proud to stand with Assemblywoman Schiavo in fighting for those who served our nation.” 

The measure now returns to the state Senate before heading to the governor’s desk. 

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