If you've ever been approached by a company offering to "maximize your VA rating" for a cut of your back pay — this bill is about you.
Senators Blumenthal, Klobuchar, Baldwin, Sanders, and others introduced S. 4646 on June 1, 2026. The full name is a mouthful: the Stopping Abuse, Fraud, and Exploitation by Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding Veterans Act — or the SAFEGUARD Veterans Act. It's currently in the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
What it does:
- Reinstates criminal penalties (fines + up to 1 year imprisonment) for unaccredited people who charge veterans for help with VA claims
- Permanently bars repeat offenders from ever becoming accredited
- Closes loopholes that predatory "claims consultants" have been using to skirt the existing law
- Bans robocall schemes used to harvest veterans' claims information from VA call centers
- Requires VA to build a public registry of accredited reps and a way to report scammers
- Preempts state laws that some states passed quietly allowing these fees
The bottom line: Help with your VA claim is — and always has been — free. VSOs like DAV, VFW, American Legion, VVA, and AMVETS provide accredited representation at no cost. If anyone asks you for money, a percentage of back pay, or a monthly fee to work your claim, that's a claim shark. This bill puts teeth back into stopping them.
Current status: Introduced and referred to committee. It still has a long road. We'll keep an eye on it.
Have you run into a claims shark? Drop your experience below — the community should know what these pitches look like.
Free VSO contacts: DAV (1-800-827-1000) · VFW (1-800-839-1899) · American Legion · VVA · AMVETS — all free, all accredited.