(The Center Square) – The Nevada Legislature was presented Monday with Assembly Bill 145, which would create additional veterans’ benefits and new means to protect veterans from fraud.
The bipartisan bill was proposed by veterans who are members of the state Assembly and was discussed during the chamber’s Government Affairs Committee meeting.
Assemblymember Reuben D’Silva, D-Clark County, and Assemblymember Ken Gray, R-Douglas, Lyon counties have proposed AB 145 to provide additional benefits to veterans. Both Assembly members are veterans and said during the committee hearing that all the 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 latest edition of the bill removed a section that would have given spouses of veterans interment provisions, or free burial in military cemeteries. The Assembly members made the concession acknowledging the current fiscal issues facing the state. The provision would have cost an estimated $600,000 to $2 million, claimed D’Silva.
AB 145 “mandates the creation of a veteran hiring program and a peer mentor program,” said 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 included language requiring only approved individuals can provide these benefits, as a way to ensure veterans are not taken advantage of.
The Assembly members ensured that much of the bill was designed to simply enforce existing national laws that are sometimes disregarded. Lawmakers warned against “claims sharks” who can charge high fees for poor representation.
The bill would seek to require Veteran Affairs’ approval of any veteran’s legal representative, a move the Assembly members called far and away the biggest issue raised by veterans rights groups to be included in the bill.
“ 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.”
