This bill helps veterans by ensuring they know about free assistance when filing claims for benefits and provides tools to find accredited representatives.
Veterans Claims Education Act of 2025This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to, upon receipt of an initial claim for benefits from a claimant that is not represented by an accredited person (i. e., a veterans service organization, attorney, or agent recognized by the VA), provide (1) notice that an accredited person may assist the claimant, (2) notice that a veterans service organization may represent the claimant for free, (3) information regarding a search tool to find an accredited person to assist in the filing of claims, and (4) information on how and where to report a person who is not accredited and charged a fee to assist with a claim. In its web portal, the VA must provide a warning regarding fees an agent or attorney may charge for assistance in filing benefits claims. (Under current law, fees are generally prohibited for filing an initial claim.)
