Senator Reverend Warnock signed onto bipartisan legislation designed to safeguard veterans from predatory practices when filing benefit claims 

The Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding (GUARD) VA Benefits Actwould reinstate criminal penalties for unaccredited claim representatives who charge unauthorized fees while helping file a disability claim

Senator Reverend Warnock: “I’m proud this bipartisan legislation protects veterans seeking their well-earned benefits and makes clear that those who use predatory practices to target them will be held to account. My message to Georgia’s servicemembers and veterans is clear: I’ve got your back” 

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) cosponsored bipartisan legislation that will hold unregistered and uncredited entities targeting veterans across the United States accountable for exploitive and predatory practices. The Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding (GUARD) Veterans Affairs (VA) Benefits Act would reinstate criminal penalties for unaccredited claim representatives who charge unauthorized fees while helping file a disability claim.

“Georgia is a military state—one in ten Georgians is connected to the military. So as a voice for our veterans in the Senate, and the proud son of one too, I’ve been committed to working to advance policies that will protect those who put their lives on the line to defend our freedoms,” said Senator Reverend Warnock.“I’m proud this bipartisan legislation protects veterans seeking their well-earned benefits and makes clear that those who use predatory practices to target them will be held to account. My message to Georgia’s servicemembers and veterans is clear: I’ve got your back.”

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. 

Last year, Senator Warnock helped pass the NDAA, which included numerous investments and policy reforms including new benefits for spouses of deceased military members, a 5.2% pay raise for military servicemembers, and hundreds of millions of federal dollars for Georgia’s military bases and communities. Priorities Senator Warnock secured in the NDAA ensure Georgia will continue playing a critical role in America’s national security for years to come. In 2022, Senator Warnock also helped pass the bipartisan PACT Act, the largest expansion of veterans’ health benefits in decades. 

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