Assembly Bill 145 was introduced in the Nevada Legislature on Monday, and it would offer additional veterans’ benefits as well as new ways to safeguard veterans from fraud.
Veterans who are members of the state Assembly submitted the bipartisan bill, which was considered at the chamber’s Government Affairs Committee meeting.
Assemblymembers Reuben D’Silva, D-Clark County, and Ken Gray, R-Douglas, Lyon counties, have sponsored AB 145, which will offer veterans with additional benefits. Both Assembly members are veterans, and they stated during the committee hearing that all other veterans in the Nevada Legislature support the bill.
“ This bill presents a significant step forward in improving the services and opportunities available to veterans across our state,” said D’Silva, a combat-wounded veteran who can no longer use his left arm due to sniper fire in Fallujah, Iraq. “It stands as a testament to our state’s unwavering commitment to honor and support those of us who have served our nation.”
The most recent version of the bill deleted a component that would have provided spouses of soldiers with interment benefits or free burial in military cemeteries. The Assembly members made the concession in recognition of the state’s current fiscal situation. D’Silva claimed that the provision would have cost between $600,000 and $2 million.
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The bill, AB 145, “mandates the creation of a veteran hiring program and a peer mentor program,” according to D’Silva. “These initiatives are essential for the recruitment, retention, and professional development of veterans and their families offering meaningful employment opportunities and robust support networks.”
The bill also contained wording mandating only approved personnel to deliver these benefits, ensuring that veterans are not taken advantage of.
The Assembly members assured that much of the bill was simply intended to enforce existing national laws, which are sometimes ignored. Lawmakers cautioned about “claims sharks” who can charge exorbitant fees for substandard representation.
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The bill would seek to require Veteran Affairs approval of any veteran’s legal counsel, which Assembly members described as the single most important issue presented by veterans rights groups to be addressed in the legislation.
“ A person shall not prepare, present, prosecute, advise, or counsel or assist any other person with a claim before the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States Department of Defense…” said Fred Wagar, a supporter of the bill, “unless the person has been recognized or accredited by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to perform such activities.”
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