Lawmakers are moving forward with bipartisan legislation designed to protect disabled veterans from predatory companies following an investigative report by NPR.
The proposed bill would prohibit firms from utilizing automated dialing systems to collect personal information from veterans with disabilities. These companies have been charging veterans fees for assistance that federal officials say should be available without cost.
The legislation comes as a direct response to NPR’s investigation into what advocates are calling ‘claim sharks’ – businesses that target vulnerable disabled veterans through aggressive marketing tactics.
Under the proposed law, companies would be banned from using auto-dialing technology to harvest sensitive personal data from disabled veterans, a practice that has allowed these firms to profit from services the government provides free of charge.
The bipartisan nature of the bill suggests strong congressional support for cracking down on these exploitative business practices that have taken advantage of veterans seeking help with their disability claims.
