In the near future, we plan to introduce legislation that will protect our veterans from those seeking to exploit their rightfully earned benefits claims.

Veterans often face challenges when applying for and receiving the benefits they deserve. Unfortunately, some unscrupulous individuals and organizations seek to exploit these individuals by charging excessive fees and engaging in predatory practices, taking advantage of our veterans' trust and need for assistance and causing undue financial burden.

In order to assist a veteran properly through all the phases of the claims process, an organization must be VA accredited.  Unfortunately, some of these organizations do not have this accreditation and often do not adhere to the high level of professional and ethical standards that our veterans deserve.

Additionally, Veteran Service Officers span the Commonwealth, in county and state government offices and non-profit organizations, and stand ready to assist veterans free of charge.

Pennsylvania must join the growing number of states enacting specific protections to safeguard our veterans from these exploitative practices. Specifically, this legislation will cap fees, ensure proper contract transparency, and ban predatory practices.

We hope that you will join us in co-sponsoring this worthwhile legislation to safeguard against the exploitation of our veterans.