00                            SENATE BILL NO. 40                                                                          
01 "An Act relating to veterans' benefits services and veterans' benefits appeal services."                                
02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
03    * Section 1. AS 26.10 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                  
04 Sec. 26.10.085. Persons providing veterans' benefits services; disclosure.                                            
05 (a) A person that provides veterans' benefits services or veterans' benefits appeal                                     
06 services to a veteran or a veteran's dependents, survivors, or personal representative                                  
07 for compensation shall disclose to the veteran or veteran's dependents, survivors, or                                   
08 personal representative that veterans' benefits services and veterans' benefits appeal                                  
09 services are provided at no cost by the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs.                                   
10 (b)  The disclosure required under (a) of this section must appear on an                                                
11 agreement to provide veterans' benefits services or veterans' benefits appeal services.                                 
12 The veteran or veteran's dependents, survivors, or personal representative shall                                        
13 acknowledge receipt by signing and dating the disclosure, and the person providing                                      
14 the services shall retain a copy of the signed acknowledgment. The adjutant general of                                  
15 the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs shall develop the disclosure required                                  

01 under (a) of this section and publish the disclosure on the department's publicly                                       
02       available Internet website.                                                                                       
03 (c)  An advertisement for veterans' benefits services or veterans' benefits                                             
04 appeal services must include the disclosure required under (a) of this section,                                         
05       communicated in a clear and conspicuous manner.                                                                   
06 (d)  A person who violates this section shall forfeit compensation and is subject                                       
07 to a civil penalty of not more than $1,000 for each violation. Each day of continuing                                   
08 noncompliance constitutes a separate violation. This subsection does not apply to an                                    
09 owner or employee of a medium in which an advertisement appears or through which                                        
10       an advertisement is disseminated.                                                                                 
11            (e)  In this section,                                                                                        
12 (1)  "advertisement" means a commercial message in a communications                                                     
13 medium that directly or indirectly promotes the solicitation of business, provides                                      
14 information about veterans' benefits services or veterans' benefits appeal services, or                                 
15 promotes a person who offers veterans' benefits services or veterans' benefits appeal                                   
16       services;                                                                                                         
17                 (2)  "veteran" means an individual who                                                                  
18                      (A)  served in the                                                                                 
19 (i)  armed forces of the United States, including a                                                                     
20                 reserve unit of the United States armed forces; or                                                      
21 (ii)  Alaska Territorial Guard, the Alaska Army National                                                                
22                 Guard, the Alaska Air National Guard, or the Alaska Naval Militia; and                                  
23 (B)  was separated from service under a condition that was not                                                          
24            dishonorable;                                                                                                
25 (3)  "veterans' benefits" means a present or future gain or advantage to                                                
26 a veteran or a veteran's dependents, survivors, or personal representative that results                                 
27       from the beneficiary's veteran status;                                                                            
28 (4)  "veterans' benefits appeal services" means services performed to                                                   
29 assist a veteran or a veteran's dependents, survivors, or personal representative in                                    
30       appealing a denial of federal or state veterans' benefits;                                                        
31 (5)  "veterans' benefits services" means services provided to a veteran                                                 

01       or a veteran's dependents, survivors, or personal representative to assist the veteran or                         
02       dependent, survivor, or personal representative in obtaining federal or state veterans'                           
03       benefits.