Georgia’s Veteran Community Is United; Lawmakers Must Listen

Attention Supporters of Georgia’s Veterans and Service Members,

Georgia’s military community deserves real support, not legislation that dismantles the very systems designed to protect them. As we approach the upcoming legislative session, one carried-over bill threatens to do exactly that: Georgia House Bill 108 (SAVE Act).

HB 108 is moving quietly but quickly, and it could be brought to the Senate floor at any moment. Despite its name, the SAVE Act does not “save” or strengthen anything for veterans. Instead, it violates federal law, erodes trusted safeguards, and invites unaccredited, unregulated individuals into the VA claims process, a space where precision, training, and accountability are non-negotiable.

But here is the truth lawmakers cannot ignore:

Fifteen of Georgia’s most established, respected, and mission-driven veterans organizations, including major VSOs and CVEBs, stand united AGAINST HB 108.

And the list continues to grow.

These organizations collectively represent hundreds of thousands of veterans, service members, families, caregivers, and survivors. They do not always agree on policy. They do not always approach legislative matters the same way. But on HB 108, their message is unified and unmistakable:

HB 108 is a bad bill for veterans. It must not advance in its current form.

When 15 leading veterans organizations, with more joining, come together to sound the alarm, Georgia’s elected officials have a moral and civic obligation to listen.

A Quick Look at the Bill’s Path

• 02/26/2025 – Passed the House (158 Yea, 10 Nay, 4 No Vote, 8 Excused)
• 03/19/2025 – Senate Veterans, Military & Homeland Security Committee voted Favorably
  • No external testimony or comments were allowed
• 03/21/2025 – Cleared Rules Committee; Read a Second Time in the Senate
• Current Status – Awaiting Senate Floor Consideration

Why 15 Leading Veteran Organizations Oppose HB 108

These organizations, backed by decades of experience and the trust of Georgia’s military community, agree that HB 108:

• Authorizes unaccredited, unregulated claims agents to charge veterans and service members for initial VA disability claims, a service federal law requires to be free.
• Introduces unqualified actors into the highly complex VA claims process, risking incorrect filings, reduced ratings, denied benefits, and long-term harm to a veteran’s case.
• Weakens critical protections that military families depend on, replacing a trusted system with one that rewards predatory behavior.

This is not speculation.
This is not exaggeration.
This is the collective judgment of the experts who do this work every day, the organizations accredited, trained, and trusted to guide veterans through life-altering claims decisions.

The Core Question: Who Should Georgia Listen To?

Fifteen accredited, established, veteran-led organizations with decades of credibility?
Or unaccredited, unvetted “claim consultants” who stand to profit from charging veterans for services that should be free?

A Simple Truth: Accreditation Exists to Protect Veterans

Just as we would never allow an untrained individual to treat a veteran’s medical condition, we should never allow an unaccredited, untrained individual to handle a veteran’s VA benefits claim, their pathway to healthcare, income, education, and stability.

Accreditation ensures:

• Competence
• Ethics
• Accountability
• Legal compliance

HB 108 removes those standards.

Georgia Can and MUST Do Better

Standing with the 15 organizations opposing HB 108 means standing with the people who actually serve veterans, not those who profit from them.

Georgia’s lawmakers must reject HB 108 in its current form and protect the integrity of the claims process our veterans depend on.

Stand united. Stand informed. Stand with the organizations who stand with veterans.

Share a Personal Story
If you have a personal story about dealing with unaccredited organizations or actors for your benefits claim, add your story to the top of this campaign's advocacy message. In addition, if you feel strongly about the importance of ensuring veterans do NOT go into debt to receive the benefits they EARNED, feel free to share that in the story box as well.