| 1 | 1 | | Session of 2025 |
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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE BILL No. 2213 |
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| 3 | 3 | | By Committee on Veterans and Military |
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| 4 | 4 | | Requested by Jim Karleskint on behalf of the Veterans of Foreign Wars |
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| 5 | 5 | | 2-3 |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT concerning veterans and military; relating to veterans benefits; |
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| 7 | 7 | | prohibiting certain conduct and improper collection of veterans benefit |
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| 8 | 8 | | fees; providing for penalties upon violation of such act. |
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| 9 | 9 | | Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas: |
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| 10 | 10 | | Section 1. (a) As used in this act: |
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| 11 | 11 | | (1) "Veterans benefits matter" means the preparation, presentation or |
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| 12 | 12 | | prosecution of any claim affecting any person who has filed or expressed |
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| 13 | 13 | | an intent to file a claim for any benefit, program, service, commodity, |
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| 14 | 14 | | function or status to which entitlement is determined under the laws and |
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| 15 | 15 | | regulations administered by the United States department of veterans |
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| 16 | 16 | | affairs, the United States department of defense or the Kansas office of |
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| 17 | 17 | | veterans services pertaining to veterans, their dependents or survivors or |
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| 18 | 18 | | any other individual eligible for such benefit, program, service, |
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| 19 | 19 | | commodity, function or status. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (b) Except as permitted under federal law, no person shall receive |
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| 21 | 21 | | compensation for preparing, presenting, prosecuting, advising, consulting |
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| 22 | 22 | | or assisting any individual with regard to any veterans benefits matter |
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| 23 | 23 | | before the United States department of veterans affairs, the United States |
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| 24 | 24 | | department of defense or the Kansas office of veterans services. |
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| 25 | 25 | | (c) No person shall receive compensation for referring any individual |
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| 26 | 26 | | to another person to prepare, present, prosecute, advise, consult or assist |
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| 27 | 27 | | regarding any veterans benefits matter before the United States department |
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| 28 | 28 | | of veterans affairs, the United States department of defense or the Kansas |
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| 29 | 29 | | office of veterans services. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a division of |
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| 31 | 31 | | fees between attorneys that is otherwise proper under Kansas law and the |
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| 32 | 32 | | Kansas rules of professional conduct. |
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| 33 | 33 | | (e) A violation of this section shall be a violation of the Kansas |
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| 34 | 34 | | consumer protection act pursuant to K.S.A. 50-623 et seq., and |
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| 35 | 35 | | amendments thereto. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (f) Any person who received compensation for preparing, presenting, |
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| 37 | 37 | | prosecuting, advising, consulting or assisting an individual with regard to |
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| 38 | 38 | | any veterans benefits matter before the United States department of |
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| 39 | 39 | | veterans affairs, the United States department of defense or the Kansas |
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| 74 | 74 | | 35 HB 2213 2 |
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| 75 | 75 | | office of veterans services shall be held to the same ethical standards as an |
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| 76 | 76 | | attorney under the Kansas rules of professional conduct in the following |
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| 77 | 77 | | practices: |
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| 78 | 78 | | (1) Advertising; |
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| 79 | 79 | | (2) solicitation of new clients; |
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| 80 | 80 | | (3) confidentiality; |
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| 81 | 81 | | (4) duty of care; |
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| 82 | 82 | | (5) duty of honesty; and |
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| 83 | 83 | | (6) duty to zealously pursue what is in the best interest of the client. |
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| 84 | 84 | | (g) If any provision or clause of this act or application thereof to any |
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| 85 | 85 | | person or circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other |
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| 86 | 86 | | provisions or applications of this act that can be given effect without the |
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| 87 | 87 | | invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this act |
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| 88 | 88 | | are declared to be severable. |
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| 89 | 89 | | Sec. 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its |
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| 90 | 90 | | publication in the Kansas register. |
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