Denver — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet joined bipartisan Senate colleagues in introducing two pieces of legislation to protect veterans and their families from fraud and to expand support for families whose loved ones died in service to our country. The Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding (GUARD) Veterans Affairs (VA) Benefits Act reinstates criminal penalties for those who charge unauthorized fees to veterans and their families while helping file a disability claim. The Caring for Survivors Act adjusts monthly benefits for family members and survivors of veterans who lost their lives in service to our country.
“We owe our service members, veterans, and their families a debt of gratitude,” said Bennet. “Congress must do everything we can to ensure they are not taken advantage of and that the families of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country are properly supported. I’m grateful to join my colleagues in cosponsoring these bills which will honor our commitment to Colorado’s veterans and their families.”
The bipartisan GUARD VA Benefits Act holds unaccredited entities that target men and women who served in uniform accountable for their predatory practices. Current law prohibits unaccredited individuals and businesses from charging a fee for assisting a veteran in the preparation, presentation, or prosecution of a VA benefit claim. However, the VA and other federal agencies are limited in their ability to enforce the law because criminal penalties were eliminated from the statute nearly 20 years ago. The bill would reinstate criminal penalties for these predatory practices.
The bipartisan, bicameral Caring for Survivors Act adjusts monthly benefits for family members and survivors of veterans who lost their lives in service to our country. The current rate of compensation paid to servicemembers’ families whose loved ones died in the line of duty or from service-related injuries or diseases — the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) — has been minimally adjusted since it was established in 1993. This legislation brings parity to payments for DIC recipients, which currently lag behind other federal program payments by nearly 12 percent. DIC also restricts benefits for survivors if the veteran was disabled for less than ten years before his or her death. This bill would reduce the timeframe a veteran needs to be rated totally disabled from ten to five years—broadening eligibility to more survivors.
Bennet continues to work in Washington to deliver the benefits and support that Colorado’s military service members, veterans, and their families have earned. In February, Bennet reintroduced the Major Richard Star Act, a bipartisan bill to provide full military benefits to combat-injured veterans with less than 20 years of military service. In July, Bennet reintroduced the Helping Unleash Benefits and Services (HUBS) for Veterans Act, bipartisan legislation based on Colorado’s example to support local “network hubs” which streamline access to essential resources for veterans, service members, and their families. Last year, Bennet pushed to pass the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, bipartisan legislation to expand health care eligibility to over 3.5 million toxic-exposed veterans.
The text of the GUARD VA Act is available HERE. The text of the Caring for Survivors Act is available HERE.
