Bill Introduced to Lift Ban on Lawyers for Veterans
A bill which would allow veterans to hire lawyers to represent them in their
efforts to obtain federal benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
has been introduced by U.S. Senators
Larry Craig (R-Idaho) and
Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina). Under current law, all 24 million living
veterans are prohibited from hiring a lawyer to help them navigate the Veterans
Affairs system. It is only after a veteran has spent months and even years
exhausting the extensive VA administrative process that the veteran then may
retain counsel - a process that often takes 3 or more years to complete. Under
the current appeals system, about 85 percent of veterans choose to be
represented by Veterans' Service Organizations or state veterans agency
personnel.
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Additional Info:
Veterans' Choice of Representation Act of 2006
Bill # S.2694
Original Sponsor:
Larry Craig
(R-ID)
Cosponsor Total: 3
(last sponsor added 05/09/2006) - 3 Republicans
About This Legislation:
A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to remove certain limitation on
attorney representation of claimants for veterans benefits in administrative
proceedings before the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
Detailed, up-to-date bill status information on S.2694