05/03/2021 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

         SB 40-VETERANS' BENEFITS SERVICES; DISCLOSURE                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:40:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  SPOHNHOLZ announced  that  the next  order of  business                                                               
would  be SENATE  BILL  NO.  40, "An  Act  relating to  veterans'                                                               
benefits services and veterans' benefits appeal services."                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:41:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DIRK CRAFT, Staff, Senator Josh  Revak, Alaska State Legislature,                                                               
on behalf of prime sponsor  Senator Josh Revak, introduced SB 40.                                                               
He  said that  SB  40  would require  those  who provide  veteran                                                               
benefit services  or benefit  appeal services,  for compensation,                                                               
to notify veterans  before taking them on as a  client that those                                                               
services  are  provided  for  free   through  a  veteran  service                                                               
organization.   He said  that the  veteran must  sign and  date a                                                               
disclosure  affirming   that  he/she  knows  free   services  are                                                               
available, with  a civil  penalty of  $1,000 per  instance levied                                                               
against  providers  who  don't   provide  the  information.    He                                                               
described  SB 40  as aiming  to increase  awareness of  available                                                               
services for veterans, dependents, and survivors.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:42:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  NELSON commented  that  the proposed  legislation                                                               
was  heard  in  the  House  Special  Committee  on  Military  and                                                               
Veterans' Affairs and that he supports it.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:42:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ announced that SB 40 was held over.