I’ve spent a lifetime watching veterans fight battles on the homefront that few were prepared for. My father rose to the rank of colonel in the Army before serving as chief counsel for the California Department of Veterans Affairs. Today, two of my brothers remain in uniform.
We’ve all heard the stories about service members struggling with the return to civilian life. My father was treated for combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder after his return from the first Gulf War, but it took years for the system to realize the link between a head injury overseas and the symptoms after he returned home.
The VA played an integral role in uncovering Dad’s injury and beginning the healing process. But if Gov. Gavin Newsom signs Senate Bill 694, which has been passed by both the Assembly and Senate in recent months, he will make it more difficult for veterans to get the kind of help Dad and the rest of California’s 1.5 million veterans too often need.
SB 694 is meant to protect veterans navigating a VA system that keeps veterans waiting for years. But by outlawing almost all fee-based organizations that help veterans submit claims, service members would have to rely on two less-than-ideal options.
The first is the 9,700 accredited Veterans Service Organization representatives across the state. They are often volunteers who are simply overwhelmed by the needs of California’s 1.5 million veterans, few of whom have simple cases.
The second alternative under SB 694 is legal representation. But lawyers in California often cost $500 per hour, and vets would be expected to give up as much as a third of their financial benefits once the VA (finally) moves them through the system. This is not a reasonable option for veterans often struggling with financial and mental health challenges. I should know — my father volunteered his time for veterans towards the end of his career, and he brought home stories that stick with me 20 years later.
Veterans need a practical solution that combines access, affordability and strong consumer protections. After all, veterans get one real chance to submit their VA claims correctly. Mistakes can trap them in years-long cycles of denials, appeals and resubmissions. It’s not uncommon to see delays as long as five years. For veterans relying on disability benefits to cover rent, food or medical care, those delays can be devastating.
Newsom’s veto of SB 694 wouldn’t be the end of the discussion of how to protect veterans from scams while still ensuring they can receive the help they were promised when raising their right hands. Instead, it would rightly push lawmakers to create a better system. For example, the state could require paid consultants to register with the Department of Consumer Affairs, undergo background checks and meet strict operational standards. It could prohibit non-refundable upfront fees and cap excessive charges while ensuring that bad actors pay hefty fines or end up behind bars.
In fact, a veto would be in line with Newsom’s record of supporting veterans. In recent years, he signed legislation expanding access to housing, correcting tax overpayments and easing financial burdens on veteran families. SB 694 threatens to undo some of that progress by increasing costs and delaying benefits.
I’ve been watching military service members navigate the broken VA system for my entire life. They deserve better than being stuck in a race where they always lose, especially in a state where the cost of living is roughly 40% higher than the national average.
Newsom should veto SB 694 and call lawmakers back to the table. California’s veterans deserve thoughtful, forward-looking policy that reflects their reality — not theories that wither in the face of the domestic battles that veterans should never have to fight.
Watkins, a Nipomo resident, is the daughter and sister of active and retired service members.