Representatives Don Bacon and Chris Pappas introduced the Veterans Benefits Information Protection Act on Mar. 27, a bipartisan bill aimed at stopping claim sharks from using auto-dialers to spam government hotlines intended for veterans.
The legislation is designed to protect veterans from being targeted by unaccredited companies that use robocallers to gather information about their benefits and then charge them large fees. The issue has drawn attention following reports of these practices affecting veterans seeking help with their claims.
The proposed law would expand existing consumer protections, which already prohibit auto-dialers from calling emergency numbers or hospital rooms, by also banning such calls to any telephone number assigned to a federal department or agency. “Our veterans should never be targeted by bad actors trying to profit off their hard-earned benefits – many at great cost to veterans and their families,” said Rep. Don Bacon. “The Veterans Benefits Information Protection Act takes a commonsense approach to crack down on predatory practices and protect veterans from exploitation. I’m pleased to join Rep. Pappas in introducing this important bipartisan legislation to safeguard the benefits our veterans have earned.”
Rep. Chris Pappas said, “Unaccredited, for-profit companies are using robocallers and veterans’ personal information to spam VA hotlines about their benefits, identify any increases, and immediately send them a bill for thousands of dollars. It’s outrageous and must be put to a stop… For years I have led the fight against claim sharks breaking the law and exploiting legal loopholes… I will continue to combat these predatory practices, reign in claim sharks, and safeguard the benefits our veterans have earned.”
Veterans groups including Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), The American Legion, National Association of County Veteran Service Officers (NACVSO), and National Organization of Veterans’ Advocates (NOVA) support the measure. Joe Grassi of VFW said: “The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) applauds the bipartisan Veterans Benefits Information Protection Act for closing a critical loophole that currently permits predatory actors… This commonsense legislation aligns with our unwavering interest in safeguarding veterans’ personal information.” Lt Gen Brian Kelly of MOAA added: “As we leverage new technology on behalf of veterans, we must also protect them from bad actors looking … The Veterans Benefits Information Protection Act is a strong step forward…”
Unaccredited claims representatives—sometimes called claim sharks—are not subject to Department of Veterans Affairs standards or oversight because criminal penalties were removed nearly two decades ago; this has allowed such practices targeting vulnerable populations like military retirees seeking assistance with benefit claims according to official congressional records.
Don Bacon is currently serving in Congress representing Nebraska’s 2nd district after replacing Brad Ashford in 2017 according to his official biography. He was born in Momence, Illinois in 1963 and now lives in Papillion according Ballotpedia. Bacon graduated from Northern Illinois University with a BA degree in 1984 before later attending University of Phoenix according his official website.
