A Bill to Keep Veterans from Being Fleeced Like Sheep in a Blizzard

The Nevada Legislature has before it a bill that aims to do what the Almighty Himself might struggle with—protect veterans from swindlers and grant them a few more well-earned benefits, assuming the state’s purse strings can bear the strain. Assembly Bill 145, proposed by two veterans who now pass their days making laws instead of dodging bullets, seeks to fortify the lives of Nevada’s former warriors, provided it can navigate the legislative thicket without being whittled down to a shadow of its former self.

Assemblymember Reuben D’Silva, a man who left the better part of his left arm in Fallujah, and Assemblymember Ken Gray, a fellow veteran, have taken it upon themselves to champion the cause. They assure their colleagues in the Legislature of full support for the bill, a rare moment of unity in a house more likely to squabble than a yard full of hungry chickens.

“This bill is a mighty stride toward honoring our veterans not just with words, but with action,” said D’Silva, whose personal history with the perils of war lends his words a weight beyond mere politics. However, in a nod to fiscal reality, the bill’s latest draft has cast aside a provision that would have allowed spouses of veterans free burials in military cemeteries—an act of belt-tightening justified by an estimated cost between $600,000 and $2 million. The lawmakers, well-versed in the art of compromise, bowed to financial constraints while keeping the rest of the bill intact.

The proposed law would mandate a veteran hiring program and a peer mentor initiative securing jobs and support for those who traded combat boots for civilian shoes, which, if we are honest, are often less comfortable. Furthermore, AB 145 seeks to do away with those unsavory creatures known as “claims sharks,” the kind of folks who would sell you a ticket to your funeral and charge extra for the privilege. These opportunists prey upon veterans seeking benefits, promising assistance while delivering little more than empty pockets and frustration.

The bill insists that only individuals recognized by the Veterans Affairs Department may handle veterans’ legal claims, ending the meddling of those who have no business profiting from another’s sacrifice.

Fred Wagar, a supporter of the bill, said, “A person shall not prepare, present, prosecute, advise, or assist in any claim before the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense unless they have been recognized or accredited to do so.”

Whether the bill will sail through the Legislature or get tripped up by the usual bureaucratic bumbling remains to be seen. But for now, Nevada’s veterans can take comfort in knowing that at least a few of their own are fighting this battle—not with rifles and bayonets, but with ink and lawbooks.