House Passes Bipartisan Bill to Safeguard Services for Veterans

SB25-282, sponsored by disabled veterans, would protect veterans from paying too much for services from unaccredited bad actors

DENVER, CO - The House today passed bipartisan legislation that would protect veterans from paying too much for veterans’ services from unaccredited bad actors. SB25-282, sponsored by Representative Lisa Feret, passed by a vote of 52-11. 

"I am deeply committed to protecting my fellow Veterans and making sure they can access the services and benefits they have earned through their service and sacrifice for our country,” said Rep. Lisa Feret, D-Arvada. “‘Claim sharks’ have raked in millions of dollars each year from excessively charging fees on service members' disability claims, sometimes even when they don't even win. Our bill helps create guidelines in this unregulated space to protect our disabled veterans while allowing companies to help address the backlog of disability claims".

SB25-282 would protect veterans from unaccredited consultants, often called “claim sharks,” who charge money to help navigate the application process to receive benefits from either the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) or the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The bill is also sponsored by Representative Ryan Armagost, R-Berthoud.

The bill would mirror the regulations the federal government uses to regulate social security benefits from the Social Security Administration. It would require that businesses unambiguously notify veterans that they can receive the same services for free from the VA, clearly state that they are not affiliated with the VA, and limit the amount of money consultants can receive from veterans’ back pay.