HCSHB1490--VETERANSBENEFITS
SPONSOR: Griffith
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonVeteransbyavoteof8to5.
Inthisbill,exceptaspermittedunderfederallaw,nopersoncan
receivecompensationforadvisingorassistinganyindividualwith
regardtoanyveteransbenefitsmatter.
Ifsomeoneisadvisingorassistinganyindividualwithregardto
anyveteransbenefits,heorshecannotguaranteethatany
individualwillreceivespecificveteransbenefitsorthatany
individualisguaranteedtoreceiveaspecificlevel,percentage,
oramountofveteransbenefits. Theindividualwhoisproviding
theadvisingservicesmustprovidethefollowingdiscloser:
"Thisbusinessisnotsponsoredby,oraffiliatedwith,theUnited
StatesDepartmentofVeteransAffairsortheMissouriVeterans
Commission,oranyotherfederallycharteredveteransservice
organization.Otherorganizations, including,butnotlimitedto,
theMissouriVeteransCommission,yourlocalveteransservice
agency,andotherfederallycharteredveteransservice
organizations, maybeabletoprovideyouwiththisservicefreeof
charge.Productsorservicesofferedbythisbusinessarenot
necessarilyendorsedbyanyoftheseorganizations. Youmay
qualifyforotherveteransbenefitsbeyondthebenefitsforwhich
youarereceivingserviceshere."
Thisbillalsoprohibitsanypersonfromreceivingcompensationfor
referringanyindividualtoanotherpersontoadviseorassistthe
individualwithveteransbenefits.
Anypersonwhoviolatestheprovisionsofthisbillcanbefound
guiltyofaclassAmisdemeanor.
Thisbillfurtheraddsmultipleprovisionsrelatingtoveterans.
PleaseseetheSummarySheetforadetailedlistoftheadditional
languageaddedintheHouseCommitteeSubstituteversionofthe
Housebill.
ThebillcontainsprovisionsfromHB70,HB116,HB190,HB483,
HCSHB496(2024).
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill. PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatweneedtoprotectourvulnerable
veterans. Thesecompanieshavepredatorypracticesanddonotact
inthebestinterestsoftheveterans.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Griffith;
TroyWilliams,MAVOVFW.
OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsaythatthesecompanies
provideaneededserviceforveterans. Notallofthecompanies
arebadactors.Thisbillwouldhurtcompanieswhoaretryingto
helpveterans.
TestifyinginpersonagainstthebillwasWilliamTaylor,Veterans
Guardian.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.