FIRSTREGULARSESSION
HOUSEBILLNO.399
103RDGENERALASSEMBLY
INTRODUCEDBYREPRESENTATIVEGRIFFITH.
1482H.01I DANARADEMANMILLER,ChiefClerk
ANACT
Toamendchapter42,RSMo,byaddingtheretoonenewsectionrelatingtoveterans,with
penaltyprovisions.
BeitenactedbytheGeneralAssemblyofthestateofMissouri,asfollows:
SectionA.Chapter42,RSMo,isamendedbyaddingtheretoonenewsection,tobe
2knownassection42.028,toreadasfollows:
42.028.1.Asusedinthissection,thefollowingtermsmean:
2 (1)"Compensation",paymentofanymoney,thingofvalue,orfinancialbenefit;
3 (2)"Person",anindividual;corporation;businesstrust;estate;trust;
4partnership;limitedliabilitycompany;association;jointventure;publiccorporation;
5governmentorgovernmentalsubdivision,agency,orinstrumentality;oranyotherlegal
6orcommercialentity.Theterm"person"shallnotincludetheMissouriveterans
7commission;
8 (3)"Veteransbenefitsmatter",thepreparation,presentation,orprosecutionof
9anyclaimaffectinganypersonwhohasfiledorexpressedanintenttofileaclaimfor
10anybenefit,program,service,commodity,function,orstatus,entitlementtowhichis
11determinedunderthelawsandregulationsadministeredbytheUnitedStates
12DepartmentofVeteransAffairsortheMissouriveteranscommission,pertainingto
13veterans,theirdependents,theirsurvivors,andanyotherindividualeligibleforsuch
14benefits.
15 2.Exceptaspermittedunderfederallaw,nopersonshallreceivecompensation
16foradvisingorassistinganyindividualwithregardtoanyveteransbenefitsmatter.
EXPLANATION—Matterenclosedinbold-facedbrackets[thus] intheabovebillisnotenactedandis
intendedtobeomittedfromthelaw.Matterinbold-facetypeintheabovebillisproposedlanguage. 17 3.Nopersonshallreceivecompensationforreferringanyindividualtoanother
18persontoadviseorassistsuchindividualwithanyveteransbenefitsmatter.
19 4.Apersonseekingtoreceivecompensationforadvisingorassistingany
20individualwithanyveteransbenefitsmattershall,beforerenderinganyservices,
21memorializealltermsregardingtheindividual'spaymentoffeesforservicesrendered
22inawrittenagreement,signedbybothparties,thatadherestoallcriteriaspecified
23within38CFR14.636.
24 5.Nopersonshallreceiveanycompensationforanyservicesrenderedbeforethe
25dateonwhichanoticeofdisagreementisfiledwithrespecttoanyindividual'scase.
26 6.Nopersonshallguarantee,eitherdirectlyorbyimplication,thatany
27individualiscertaintoreceivespecificveteransbenefitsorthatanyindividualiscertain
28toreceiveaspecificlevel,percentage,oramountofveteransbenefits.
29 7.Nopersonshallreceiveexcessiveorunreasonablefeesascompensationfor
30advisingorassistinganyindividualwithanyveteransbenefitsmatter.Thefactors
31articulatedwithin38CFR14.636shallgoverndeterminationsofwhetherafeeis
32excessiveorunreasonable.
33 8.(1)Nopersonshalladviseorassistforcompensationanyindividual
34concerninganyveteransbenefitsmatterwithoutclearlyproviding,attheoutsetofthe
35businessrelationship,thefollowingdisclosure,bothorallyandinwriting:
36 Thisbusinessisnotsponsoredby,oraffiliatedwith,theUnited
37 StatesDepartmentofVeteransAffairsortheMissouriVeterans
38 Commission,oranyotherfederallycharteredveteransservice
39 organization.Otherorganizations,including,butnotlimitedto,
40 theMissouriVeteransCommission,yourlocalveteransservice
41 agency,andotherfederallycharteredveteransservice
42 organizations,maybeabletoprovideyouwiththisservicefreeof
43 charge.Productsorservicesofferedbythisbusinessarenot
44 necessarilyendorsedbyanyoftheseorganizations.Youmay
45 qualifyforotherveteransbenefitsbeyondthebenefitsforwhich
46 youarereceivingserviceshere.
47 (2)Thewrittendisclosureshallappearinatleasttwelve-pointfontandshall
48appearinareadilynoticeableandidentifiableplaceintheperson'sagreementwiththe
49individualseekingservices.Theindividualshallverballyacknowledgeunderstandingof
50theoraldisclosureandshallsignthedocumentinwhichthewrittendisclosureappears,
51torepresentunderstandingoftheseprovisions.Thepersonofferingservicesshallretain
52acopyofthewrittendisclosurewhileprovidingveteransbenefitsservicesfor
HB399 2 53compensationtotheindividualandforatleastoneyearafterthedateonwhichthe
54servicerelationshipterminates.
55 9.(1)Nopersonshalladvertisefor-compensationservicesinveteransbenefits
56matterswithoutincludingthefollowingdisclosure:
57 Thisbusinessisnotsponsoredby,oraffiliatedwith,theUnited
58 StatesDepartmentofVeteransAffairsortheMissouriVeterans
59 Commission,oranyotherfederallycharteredveteransservice
60 organization.Otherorganizations,including,butnotlimitedto,
61 theMissouriVeteransCommission,yourlocalveteransservice
62 agency,andotherfederallycharteredveteransservice
63 organizations,maybeabletoprovideyouwiththeseservicesfree
64 ofcharge.Productsorservicesofferedbythisbusinessarenot
65 necessarilyendorsedbyanyoftheseorganizations.Youmay
66 qualifyforotherveteransbenefitsbeyondtheservicesthatthis
67 businessoffers.
68 (2)Iftheadvertisementisprinted,including,butnotlimitedto,advertisements
69visibletointernetusers,thedisclosureshallappearinareadilyvisibleplaceonthe
70advertisement.Iftheadvertisementisverbal,thespokenstatementofthedisclosure
71shallbeclearandintelligible.
72 10.Nopersonwhoadvisesorassists,orseekstoadviseorassist,for
73compensationanyindividualconcerninganyveteransbenefitsmattershallgaindirect
74accesstotheindividual's:
75 (1)Personalmedicalinformation;
76 (2)Personalfinancialinformation;
77 (3)Personalinformationinanyapplicationforgovernmentbenefits;or
78 (4)Usernameorpasswordforanyapplicationorservice.
79 11.AnypersonwhoviolatesthissectionisguiltyofaclassAmisdemeanor.
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