Gov. Gavin Newsom signs law barring unaccredited companies from charging veterans for disability claim assistance, intensifying a state-by-state showdown with multimillion-dollar consulting firms.
In a move reverberating across the veterans’ advocacy and defense policy community, Gavin Newsom has signed sweeping legislation aimed at eliminating so-called “claim shark” companies operating in California’s vast veteran population.
The new law prohibits unaccredited private firms from charging veterans fees to assist with Department of Veterans Affairs disability claims — a practice critics argue exploits service members navigating one of the federal government’s most complex benefits systems.
The legislation effectively forces unaccredited claims consulting firms to overhaul their business models or cease operations in the state by year’s end.
