To amend title 38, United States Code, to permit certain fee agreements between claimants and agents or attorneys for the preparations, presentation, or prosecution of initial claims for benefits under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Bergman (for himself, Mr. Correa, Mrs. Miller-Meeks, Mr. Rouzer, …
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Preserving Lawful Utilization of Services for Veterans Act of 2025 (PLUS for Veterans Act) establishes a regulatory framework for attorneys and claims agents who charge fees to help veterans file initial disability and benefits claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Currently, veterans can get free help from Veterans Service Organizations, but this bill creates rules for paid representatives who want to assist with initial claims.
Who Benefits and How
Attorneys and claims agents who help veterans with initial VA claims benefit from this bill because it legitimizes their ability to charge fees for this work (previously prohibited for initial claims). They can now charge flat fees up to $12,500 or five times the monthly benefit increase, whichever is less, and those who previously charged fees cannot be punished retroactively for doing so. Veterans may benefit from having more options for professional help with their claims, though they must pay for these services out of pocket or from awarded benefits.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Attorneys and agents who charge fees face new regulatory requirements: they must apply for VA recognition, pay up to $500 in assessment fees, comply with HIPAA data protection requirements, and follow specific fee agreement rules. Those who violate these rules face stiff penalties including $50,000 fines and being barred from practice for 1-10 years. State governments lose authority to regulate this area, as the bill preempts state laws. Veterans could face costs of up to $12,500 for services that are available free through Veterans Service Organizations.
Key Provisions
- Allows attorneys and agents to charge veterans flat fees (up to $12,500 or 5x monthly benefit increase) for help with initial VA claims, payable only if the claim succeeds
- Establishes an application and recognition process for claims agents and attorneys, with conditional temporary recognition if VA cannot verify credentials within 90 days
- Creates penalties for unauthorized fee-charging: fines up to $50,000 and bars from practice for 1-10 years for violations
- Requires fee-charging representatives to comply with HIPAA data protection standards
- Prohibits representatives from referring veterans to physicians with whom they have business relationships
- Preempts all inconsistent state laws governing veterans claims representation
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology