SB 1803 Arizona Senate · 57th Legislature - Second Regular Session

veterans' benefits; claims; prohibition

SB 1803 restricts who can assist veterans with benefits claims in Arizona. It requires anyone acting as an agent or attorney for veterans' benefits to be recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), while imposing strict rules on non-accredited advisors. These rules include mandatory written agreements with 3-day cancellation periods, clear disclosures that the business isn’t VA-accredited, bans on guaranteeing outcomes or charging upfront fees, and a fee cap of five times the veteran’s monthly benefit increase. The bill directly affects veterans seeking benefits and non-VA-accredited advisors, aiming to prevent deceptive practices while protecting veterans from unscrupulous fee structures.

Issues: ✓ Veterans

Bill status failed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 5, 2026 Last action Mar 25, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Version → Senate Engrossed Version (03/10/2026) · 5 edits · Mar 10, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was reformatted into the official Senate Engrossed version, and the substantive text of the new statute was significantly expanded to include stricter prohibitions on non-attorney veterans' service providers. The most critical changes involve adding specific bans on submitting paperwork directly to the government, holding powers of attorney, and impersonating accredited representatives, while also clarifying that compensation must be contingent on a benefits increase rather than just a flat fee.

Scope change

The scope of prohibited conduct for non-attorneys was broadened to explicitly forbid direct submission of claims, acting as a power of attorney, and making false representations to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

REQUIREMENT

Added a prohibition against submitting paperwork, forms, or evidence to the Department of Veterans Affairs on behalf of a veteran, which previously was not explicitly forbidden in this section.

Added a ban on receiving, holding, or exercising a power of attorney to act on behalf of an individual regarding veterans' benefits.

Added a prohibition against impersonating an accredited representative or falsely claiming authority to act on behalf of a veteran when contacting the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Expanded the fee structure rules to clarify that compensation must be contingent on the veteran's benefits being increased, rather than allowing any upfront or nonrefundable fees.

DEFINITION

Updated the definition of 'compensation' to emphasize that it refers to money or value received in return for services, ensuring clarity on what constitutes a fee under the new rules.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 10, 2026

How they voted

20–9

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 30

Mar 10, 2026

D Democratic13

5 Yea 8 Nay

61% Nay

R Republican17

15 Yea 1 Nay 1

88% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Mar 10, 2026

Upper · Passed

PASSED

upper

Mar 3, 2026

Upper · Passed

DPA

upper

Feb 9, 2026

Upper · Passed

DPA

upper

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor