Minnesota bill would require VA accreditation, transparency to curb 'claims sharks' preying on veterans

Representative Emma Greenman introduced House File 1855 on behalf of veterans who advocates say are being targeted by so-called "claims sharks," and told a House veterans' committee the bill would require people or companies charging for help with VA claims to be accredited by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and to use transparent fee agreements.

"All this bill does ... is a modest solution that says, if you wanna do that, if you wanna serve veterans, you have to be accredited by the US Department of Veterans Affairs," Greenman said during the hearing. She told the committee the bill had just passed out of the House Veterans Services Committee and was on its way to the Judiciary Committee.

The bill drew support from a coalition of veterans service organizations. Dr. Christy Janigo, legislative chair of the American Legion Department of Minnesota and an assistant county veteran service officer, called HF1855 "the most important veteran issue in the Minnesota legislature this biennium," and said the PACT Act of 2022 had expanded benefits and also opened opportunities for fraud.

"The PACT Act of 2022 ... was the largest expansion of VA benefits in modern history, resulting in approximately 1,800,000,000.0 in new benefits awards," Janigo said, citing the…