To amend section 1345.032 and to enact section 5901.10 of the Revised Code to govern the practice of providing veterans claim consulting assistance for compensation and to establish requirements for soliciting a fee for providing a copy of a military discharge record.
Summary
HB708 would add new consumer-protection rules for two related practices: soliciting payment for copies of military discharge records and providing paid assistance with veterans benefits claims. The bill amends existing law on deed-copy solicitations and creates a new section of the Revised Code governing veterans claim consulting for compensation. For discharge-record solicitations, it requires clear disclosures that the solicitation is not from a public body, that no action is legally required, and where the record can be obtained at low or no cost; it also limits the fee that may be charged and requires advance filing of the solicitation document with county offices.
For paid veterans benefits consulting, the bill prohibits compensation for referrals, bans guarantees of specific outcomes, and requires written fee agreements and prominent disclosures that the business is not affiliated with VA or other veterans agencies. It also limits compensation to contingent fees tied to increased benefits, bars initial or nonrefundable fees, and imposes privacy and security requirements such as prohibiting international call centers, restricting use of veterans’ login credentials, and requiring background checks for anyone accessing sensitive information. Violations are treated as unfair or deceptive acts under Ohio consumer law, and civil penalties would be directed to the military injury relief fund.
Impact
HB708 would expand Ohio consumer-protection law by adding a new veterans-benefits-services regulatory framework in Chapter 5901 and by revising section 1345.032 to cover solicitations for military discharge records. It would affect businesses that market deed copies or DD-214 copies, as well as non-attorney veterans claim consultants, by imposing disclosure, fee, filing, and privacy requirements and by making violations actionable under the state’s deceptive-practices statutes. The bill also preserves an exemption for accredited agents and attorneys authorized under federal veterans-claims rules.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears to be framed positively as a consumer- and veteran-protection bill, with sponsors seeking to curb misleading solicitations and abusive veterans-claims consulting practices. There are no recorded committee transcripts or votes in the provided materials, so there is no documented opposition or support beyond the bill’s introduction and referral to the House Veterans and Military Development Committee.
Contention
The main policy tensions are likely to center on the bill’s restrictions on paid veterans benefits consultants, especially the ban on upfront or nonrefundable fees, the cap on contingent compensation, and the prohibition on referral fees. Another likely point of contention is the compliance burden created by disclosure, filing, background-check, and data-handling requirements. The bill also distinguishes between private consultants and federally accredited agents or attorneys, which may raise questions about how broadly the new rules should apply and whether they could limit access to paid assistance for veterans navigating benefits claims.