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Lawmakers Weigh Bill to Criminalize Predatory Unaccredited VA Claims Agents; Veterans Groups Spar Over Access and Fees
Summary
The committee heard competing testimony on H.3840: proponents described predatory actors charging veterans for claims assistance and urged enforcement tools; opposing witnesses and some veterans organizations warned the proposal could limit veterans’ options and raise First Amendment concerns.
At a February hearing, the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs took testimony on H.3840, which would make it a crime in Massachusetts for unaccredited actors to prepare VA claims or to act as paid claims preparers and would give state prosecutors tools to pursue predatory vendors.
Christopher Deary, a 13‑year veteran service officer (VSO) and accredited VA claims agent from the town of Kingsborough, urged passage: he said unaccredited providers charge upfront or contingency fees, sometimes thousands of dollars, to prepare claims that VSOs provide for free. Deary said the bill would give the Attorney General…
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