{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-44-44-239","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 44, § 44-239","heading":"Advising on veterans' benefits matters – Restrictions -","body":"Penalties.\n\nA. For purposes of this section:\n\n1. \"Compensation\" means any money, thing of value, or economic\n\nbenefit conferred on, or received by, any person in return for\n\nservices rendered, or to be rendered, by himself or herself or\n\nanother;\n\n2. \"Veterans' benefits matter\" means preparation, presentation,\n\nor prosecution of any claim affecting any person who has filed or\n\nexpressed an intent to file a claim for any benefit, program,\n\nservice, commodity, function, status, or entitlement for which\n\nveterans, their dependents, their survivors, or any other individual\n\nare eligible under the laws and regulations administered by the\n\nUnited States Department of Veterans Affairs or the Oklahoma\n\nDepartment of Veterans Affairs; and\n\n3. Except as provided in paragraph 5 of subsection B of this\n\nact, \"person\" means any natural person, corporation, trust,\n\npartnership, incorporated or unincorporated association, or any\n\nother legal entity.\n\nB. 1. No person may receive compensation for referring any\n\nindividual to another person to advise or assist the individual with\n\nany veterans' benefits matter.\n\n2. Any payment of fees by veterans for representation through\n\nagents shall be done in accordance with, and not contrary to,\n\nSection 14.636 of Title 38 of the Code of Federal Regulations.\n\n3. No person may receive any compensation for any services\n\nrendered in connection with any claim filed within the one-year\n\npresumptive period of active-duty release, unless the veteran\n\nacknowledges by signing a waiver that they are within this period\n\nand choosing to deny free services available to them.\n\n4. A person seeking to receive compensation for advising,\n\nassisting, or consulting with any individual in connection with any\n\nveterans' benefits matter must, before rendering any services,\n\nmemorialize the specific terms under which the amount to be paid\n\nwill be determined in a written agreement signed by both parties.\n\nCompensation must be purely contingent upon an increase in benefits\n\nawarded, and if successful, compensation must not exceed five times\n\nthe amount of the monthly increase in benefits awarded based on the\n\nclaim. No initial or nonrefundable fee may be charged by a person\n\nadvising, assisting, or consulting an individual on a veterans'\n\nbenefits matter.\n\n5. No person will guarantee, either directly or by implication,\n\na successful outcome or that any individual is certain to receive\n\nspecific veterans' benefits or that any individual is certain to\n\nreceive a specific level, percentage, or amount of veterans'\n\nbenefits.\n\n6. Any person advising, assisting, or consulting on veterans'\n\nbenefits matters for compensation shall provide the following\n\ndisclosure at the outset of the business relationship:\n\n\"This business is not sponsored by, or affiliated with, the\n\nUnited States Department of Veterans Affairs or the\n\nOklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs, or any other\n\nfederally chartered veterans' service organization. Other\n\norganizations including, but not limited to, the Oklahoma\n\nDepartment of Veterans Affairs, a local veterans' service\n\norganization, and other federally chartered veterans'\n\nservice organizations may be able to provide you with this\n\nservice free of charge. Products or services offered by\n\nthis business are not necessarily endorsed by any of these\n\norganizations. You may qualify for other veterans'\n\nbenefits beyond the benefits for which you are receiving\n\nservices here.\"\n\nThe written disclosure shall appear in at least 12 point font in\n\nan easily identifiable place in the person's agreement with the\n\nindividual seeking services. The individual shall sign the document\n\nin which the written disclosure appears to represent understanding\n\nof these provisions. The person offering services shall retain a\n\ncopy of the written disclosure while providing veterans' benefits\n\nservices for compensation to the individual and for at least one (1)\neasily identifiable place in the person's agreement with the\n\nindividual seeking services. The individual shall sign the document\n\nin which the written disclosure appears to represent understanding\n\nof these provisions. The person offering services shall retain a\n\ncopy of the written disclosure while providing veterans' benefits\n\nservices for compensation to the individual and for at least one (1)\n\nyear after the date on which the service relations terminate.\n\n7. Businesses advising, assisting, or consulting on veterans'\n\nbenefits matters for a fee shall abide by the following:\n\na. shall not utilize international call centers or data\n\ncenters for processing veterans' personal information,\n\nb. shall not use a veteran's personal log-in, username,\n\nor password information to access that veteran's\n\nmedical, financial, or government benefits\n\ninformation, and\n\nc. shall ensure that any individual who has access to\n\nveterans' medical or financial information undergoes a\n\nbackground check prior to having access to that\n\ninformation. The background check shall be conducted\n\nby a reputable source and include identity\n\nverification and a criminal records check.\n\nC. 1. A violation of the provisions of this section\n\nconstitutes an unfair, false, misleading, or deceptive act or\n\npractice in the conduct of trade or commerce under the Oklahoma\n\nConsumer Protection Act.\n\n2. Civil penalties shall be in an amount ordered by the\n\ndistrict court in an action brought by the Oklahoma Attorney\n\nGeneral.\n\n3. Each day a violation continues is a separate violation.\n\n4. Nothing in this section is to be construed as applying to,\n\nlimiting, or expanding the requirements imposed on agents,\n\nattorneys, or other representatives accredited by the United States\n\nDepartment of Veterans Affairs and regulated by that agency.","path":["OK Code","Title 44"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os44.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"192de2e08a20ce2078cb7d91673aa5d284b710c2004784766729fe922fda9d9e","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-44-44-238","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-44-44-24"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}