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S. B. No. 2668 *SS36/R1079CS* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/SS36/R1079CS
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To: Veterans and Military
Affairs
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) Tate, Boyd, Sparks
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
SENATE BILL NO. 2668
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; TO PROVIDE CIVIL PENALTIES; AND 11
FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 12
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 13
SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the 14
"Preserving Lawful Utilization of Services for Veterans Act of 15
2026 (PLUS Act)". 16
SECTION 2. (1) For the purposes of this section: 17
(a) "Compensation" means any money, thing of value, or 18
economic benefit conferred on, or received by, any person in 19
return for services rendered, or to be rendered, by himself or 20
herself or another. 21
(b) "Veterans' benefits matter" means the preparation, 22
presentation, or prosecution of any claim affecting any person who 23
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has filed or expressed an intent to file a claim for any benefit, 24
program, service, commodity, function, status, or entitlement for 25
which veterans, their dependents, their survivors, or any other 26
individual are eligible under the laws and regulations 27
administered by the United States Department of Veterans' Affairs 28
or the Department of Veterans' Affairs. 29
(c) "Person" means any natural person, corporation, 30
trust, partnership, incorporated or unincorporated association, or 31
any other legal entity. 32
(2) No person may receive compensation for referring any 33
individual to another person to advise or assist the individual 34
with any veterans' benefits matter. 35
(3) No person may receive any compensation for any services 36
rendered in connection with any claim filed within the one (1) 37
year presumptive period of active-duty release, unless the veteran 38
acknowledges by signing a waiver that they are within this period 39
and choosing to deny free services available to them. 40
(4) A person seeking to receive compensation for advising, 41
assisting, or consulting with any individual in connection with 42
any veterans' benefits matter must, before rendering any services, 43
memorialize the specific terms under which the amount to be paid 44
will be determined in a written agreement signed by both parties. 45
Compensation must be purely contingent upon an increase in 46
benefits awarded, and if successful, compensation must not exceed 47
five (5) times the amount of the monthly increase in benefits 48
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awarded based on the claim or Twelve Thousand Five Hundred Dollars 49
($12,500.00), whichever is the lesser amount. No initial or 50
nonrefundable fee may be charged by a person advising, assisting, 51
or consulting an individual on a veterans' benefit matter. 52
(5) No person will guarantee, either directly or by 53
implication, a successful outcome or that any individual is 54
certain to receive specific veterans' benefits or that any 55
individual is certain to receive a specific level, percentage, or 56
amount of veterans' benefit. 57
(6) Any person advising, assisting, or consulting on 58
veterans' benefits matters for compensation must provide the 59
following disclosure at the outset of the business relationship: 60
"This business is not sponsored by, or affiliated with, the 61
United States Department of Veterans' Affairs or the Department of 62
Veterans' Affairs, or any other federally chartered veterans' 63
service organization. Other organizations including but not 64
limited to the Department of Veterans' Affairs, a local veterans' 65
service organization, and other federally chartered veterans' 66
service organizations may be able to provide you with this service 67
free of charge. Products or services offered by this business are 68
not necessarily endorsed by any of these organizations. You may 69
qualify for other veterans' benefits beyond the benefits for which 70
you are receiving services here." 71
The written disclosure must appear in at least twelve (12) 72
point font in an easily identifiable place in the person's 73
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agreement with the individual seeking services. The individual 74
must sign the document in which the written disclosure appears to 75
represent understanding of these provisions. The person offering 76
services must retain a copy of the written disclosure while 77
providing veterans' benefits services for compensation to the 78
individual and for at least one (1) year after the date on which 79
the service relations terminate. 80
(7) Businesses advising, assisting, or consulting on 81
veterans' benefits matters for a fee must abide by the following: 82
(a) Must not utilize international call centers or data 83
centers for processing veterans' personal information; 84
(b) Must not use a veteran's personal log-in, username, 85
or password information to access that veteran's medical, 86
financial, or government benefits information; 87
(c) Must ensure that any individual who has access to 88
veterans' medical or financial information undergoes a background 89
check prior to having access to that information. The background 90
check must be conducted by a reputable source and include identity 91
verification and a criminal records check. 92
(8) (a) A violation of the provisions of this section 93
constitutes an unfair, false, misleading, or deceptive act or 94
practice in the conduct of trade or commerce under the Mississippi 95
Unfair Trade Practices Act (Section 74-25-5, Mississippi Code of 96
1972). 97
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ST: "Preserving Lawful Utilization of Services
for Veterans Act"; provide restrictions on
persons assisting with claims.
(b) Civil penalties will be in an amount ordered by the 98
District Court in an action brought by the Attorney General under 99
said act. 100
(c) Each day a violation continues is a separate 101
violation. 102
(d) Any civil penalty collected will be deposited in 103
the State Treasury to the credit of the Mississippi Military 104
Affairs Department. 105
(e) Nothing in this section is to be construed as 106
applying to, limiting, or expanding the requirements imposed on 107
agents, attorneys, or other representatives accredited by the 108
United States Department of Veterans Affairs and regulated by the 109
agency. 110
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from 111
and after July 1, 2026, and shall stand repealed from and after 112
June 30, 2026. 113