On February 10, 2026, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law making California the latest state to ban unaccredited private companies from charging veterans for help with their VA disability claims. The law takes direct aim at a fast-growing industry of so-called “claims consultants” – companies that can charge $10,000 or more for assistance that accredited representatives are often required to provide for free or at a fraction of the cost. CalMatters, which covered the signing, reported on a Vietnam-era veteran who received a monthly benefit increase of $1,100 and was then billed $5,500 by the company that helped him, five