SAFEGUARD Veterans Act of 2026
This bill targets unaccredited companies and individuals who charge veterans high fees for help filing disability and other benefit claims. It requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to place prominent fee warnings and verification links on its websites, and adds questions to benefit applications asking if the veteran paid someone for assistance. Furthermore, it creates a secure online system for veterans to report predatory representatives and blocks unsolicited robocalls targeting veterans' benefits.
The provisions, in plain language.
The General Counsel of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must initiate a rulemaking process within 90 days of enactment to define the terms "preparation, presentation, or prosecution" of claims for the purpose of administering rules governing VA claims representatives.
Federal rules governing VA claims agents, attorneys, fee agreements, and authority to charge for representation supersede any state or local laws concerning who can represent veterans or the fees they are allowed to charge.
The VA Secretary must include detailed staffing and cost estimates for managing VA representation accreditation and enforcement in the annual budget documents submitted to Congress.
The VA must add warning notices on its online claim-filing portals regarding fees charged by agents or attorneys, including direct links to the VA's online accredited representative search tool and information website.
Within 180 days of enactment, the VA Secretary must review the rules and procedures for recognizing claims representatives, develop recommendations to improve them, and submit a report on these recommendations to Congress.
Starting 180 days after enactment, the VA must display warning notices about unauthorized claims assistance and unaccredited representatives on all public-facing websites and tools, rather than only displaying them when a veteran logs in.
The VA must update all benefit claim forms to include questions asking if the claimant was charged a fee or coached by anyone to gather information or file the claim, along with an option to identify that person.
The VA must establish a highly reliable online system (at least 99.9 percent uptime) that allows claims agents and attorneys to self-certify their credentials, lets veterans file complaints about representative misconduct, and integrates with other claims systems.
The bill amends the Communications Act of 1934 to add restrictions on automated or prerecorded calls (robocalls) related to veterans' benefit claims or services.
Who it helps · who it burdens.
Who it helps
- veterans and benefit claimantsGains protections from unauthorized representatives through public warnings on VA websites, direct links to accredited search tools, and a new system to file complaints against misconduct. Also gains protection from robocalls regarding veterans' benefits. (Sec. 3(b), Sec. 5, Sec. 7, Sec. 8)
- accredited VA claims agents and attorneysGains a new, highly reliable online system to self-certify their credentials. (Sec. 7)
Who it burdens
- Department of Veterans AffairsMust initiate rulemaking to define claims representation terms, include staffing/cost estimates in budget documents, update online portals and public websites with warning notices, update all benefit claim forms, and establish a highly reliable online system (99.9% uptime) for credential self-certification and complaints. (Sec. 2(b), 2(d), 3(b), 4, 5, 6, 7)
- accredited VA claims agents and attorneysSubject to a new online complaint system where clients can report misconduct and violations. (Sec. 7)
- robocallers and telemarketersFaces new restrictions under the Communications Act of 1934 on making automated or prerecorded calls related to veterans' benefit claims or services. (Sec. 8)
Who opposes it
- unaccredited claims representatives and coachesThe bill directly targets unaccredited entities by requiring public warnings about unauthorized assistance on all VA websites and adding questions to claim forms asking veterans to identify anyone who charged or coached them. (Sec. 5, Sec. 6)
- state and local governmentsTheir laws regarding the recognition of claims agents/attorneys and fee agreements are preempted and superseded by federal rules. (Sec. 2(c))