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To: Military Affairs
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Representatives Carpenter, Newman,
Hulum, Hall
HOUSE BILL NO. 1076
(As Sent to Governor)
AN ACT ENTITLED THE "PRESERVING LAWFUL UTILIZATION OF 1
SERVICES FOR VETERANS ACT OF 2026 (PLUS ACT)"; TO PROVIDE 2
DEFINITIONS; TO PROVIDE THAT NO PERSON MAY RECEIVE ANY 3
COMPENSATION FOR SERVICES RENDERED IN CONNECTION WITH ANY 4
VETERAN'S CLAIM UNLESS THE VETERAN SIGNS A WAIVER THAT THEY ARE 5
WITHIN THE ALLOWABLE TIME PERIOD AND ARE CHOOSING TO DENY FREE 6
SERVICES AVAILABLE; TO PROVIDE THAT ANY PERSON ASSISTING ON 7
VETERANS' BENEFITS MATTERS FOR COMPENSATION SHALL PROVIDE CERTAIN 8
DISCLOSURES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP; TO 9
PROHIBIT CERTAIN PRACTICES BY BUSINESSES ASSISTING VETERANS 10
BENEFITS MATTERS FOR COMPENSATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 11
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 12
SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the 13
"Preserving Lawful Utilization of Services for Veterans Act of 14
2026 (PLUS Act)". 15
SECTION 2. (1) For the purposes of this section: 16
(a) "Compensation" means any money, thing of value, or 17
economic benefit conferred on, or received by, any person in 18
return for services rendered, or to be rendered, by himself or 19
herself or another. 20
(b) "Veterans' benefits matter" means the preparation, 21
presentation, or prosecution of any claim affecting any person who 22
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has filed or expressed an intent to file a claim for any benefit, 23
program, service, commodity, function, status, or entitlement for 24
which veterans, their dependents, their survivors, or any other 25
individual are eligible under the laws and regulations 26
administered by the United States Department of Veterans' Affairs 27
or the State Veterans Affairs Board. 28
(c) "Person" means any natural person, corporation, 29
trust, partnership, incorporated or unincorporated association, or 30
any other legal entity. 31
(2) No person may receive compensation for referring any 32
individual to another person to advise or assist the individual 33
with any veterans' benefits matter. 34
(3) No person may receive any compensation for any services 35
rendered in connection with any claim filed within the one (1) 36
year presumptive period of active-duty release, unless the veteran 37
acknowledges by signing a waiver that they are within this period 38
and choosing to deny free services available to them. 39
(4) A person seeking to receive compensation for advising, 40
assisting, or consulting with any individual in connection with 41
any veterans' benefits matter must, before rendering any services, 42
memorialize the specific terms under which the amount to be paid 43
will be determined in a written agreement signed by both parties. 44
Compensation must be purely contingent upon an increase in 45
benefits awarded, and if successful, compensation must not exceed 46
five (5) times the amount of the monthly increase in benefits 47
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awarded based on the claim or Twelve Thousand Five Hundred Dollars 48
($12,500.00), whichever is the lesser amount. No initial or 49
nonrefundable fee may be charged by a person advising, assisting, 50
or consulting an individual on a veterans' benefit matter. 51
(5) No person will guarantee, either directly or by 52
implication, a successful outcome or that any individual is 53
certain to receive specific veterans' benefits or that any 54
individual is certain to receive a specific level, percentage, or 55
amount of veterans' benefit. 56
(6) Any person advising, assisting, or consulting on 57
veterans' benefits matters for compensation must provide the 58
following disclosure at the outset of the business relationship: 59
"This business is not sponsored by, or affiliated with, the 60
United States Department of Veterans' Affairs or the State 61
Veterans Affairs Board, or any other federally chartered veterans' 62
service organization. Other organizations, including, but not 63
limited to, the State Veterans Affairs Board, a local veterans' 64
service organization, and other federally chartered veterans' 65
service organizations may be able to provide you with this service 66
free of charge. Products or services offered by this business are 67
not necessarily endorsed by any of these organizations. You may 68
qualify for other veterans' benefits beyond the benefits for which 69
you are receiving services here." 70
The written disclosure must appear in at least twelve (12) 71
point font in an easily identifiable place in the person's 72
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agreement with the individual seeking services. The individual 73
must sign the document in which the written disclosure appears to 74
represent understanding of these provisions. The person offering 75
services must retain a copy of the written disclosure while 76
providing veterans' benefits services for compensation to the 77
individual and for at least one (1) year after the date on which 78
the service relations terminate. 79
(7) Businesses advising, assisting, or consulting on 80
veterans' benefits matters for a fee must abide by the following: 81
(a) Must not use a veteran's personal log-in, username, 82
or password information to access that veteran's medical, 83
financial, or government benefits information; 84
(b) Must ensure that any individual who has access to 85
veterans' medical or financial information undergoes a background 86
check prior to having access to that information. The background 87
check must be conducted by a reputable source and include identity 88
verification and a criminal records check. 89
(8) (a) A violation of the provisions of this section 90
constitutes an unfair, false, misleading, or deceptive act or 91
practice in the conduct of trade or commerce under Section 92
75-24-5, Mississippi Code of 1972. 93
(b) Each day a violation continues is a separate 94
violation. 95
(c) Nothing in this section is to be construed as 96
applying to, limiting, or expanding the requirements imposed on 97
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ST: Preserving Lawful Utilization of Services
for Veterans Act of 2026 (PLUS Act); create.
agents, attorneys, or other representatives accredited by the 98
United States Department of Veterans Affairs and regulated by the 99
agency. 100
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from 101
and after July 1, 2026. 102