Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 694 (Archuleta), a measure promoted as “protecting Veterans,” but one that ultimately restricts their freedom to choose how they access earned disability benefits. Courtesy photo

CALIFORNIA (MPG) – Feb. 10, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 694 (Archuleta), a measure promoted as “protecting Veterans,” but one that ultimately restricts their freedom to choose how they access earned disability benefits.

Despite calls for a veto, the governor chose to side with institutional interests over the lived experiences of disabled Veterans. SB 694 eliminates lawful private assistance options that many Veterans rely on after traditional systems fail them. These systems are plagued by backlogs, understaffed offices, and delays that can last months or years, often resulting in underrated claims or denials.

“There’s a market for private assistance because the system doesn’t work for everyone,” said Josh Smith, CEO and co-founder of Veteran Benefits Guide. “Seventy percent of the 55,000 Veterans we’ve helped over the past decade tried free services first. They came to us because they had no other option.”

Veterans did not turn to private assistance out of convenience, but out of necessity. SB 694 removes those options entirely, replacing choice with gatekeeping and delay.

The bill was advanced using procedural maneuvers that shut out meaningful Veteran input. It moved through the Assembly as a different bill before being gutted and amended in the Senate. The only Veteran serving in the Assembly was listed as a co-author when the measure was sent to the Governor’s desk, despite requesting in writing to be removed.

In the Legislature, four out of five Veteran lawmakers voted against SB 694. Supporters framed Veteran choice as exploitation, sidelined dissenting Veteran voices, and elevated institutional stakeholders while ignoring the lived experiences of disabled Veterans who rely on these services to survive.

“As the only veteran in the Assembly, Jeff knows firsthand the needs of veterans and to take away their resources like this is unacceptable to those who served our country,” said Assembly Republican Leader Heath Flora.  

“Veterans know what delay costs,” said Assemblyman Jeff Gonzalez (R-Indio). “When benefits are held up, it’s not abstract. It means missed rent, postponed medical care, untreated PTSD, and families left without stability. As a Veteran, I find it deeply troubling that the state would take away options Veterans chose because the system was not working for them.”

Industry data shows that prolonged benefit delays can cost Veterans an average of more than $18,000 in lost income. Surveys indicate that 95 percent of Veterans believe they should have the right to choose who helps them navigate the claims process. SB 694 ignores that reality.

Lawmakers were presented with an alternative. Assemblyman Gonzalez worked on a bipartisan proposal that would have preserved Veteran choice, established real consumer protections, cracked down on bad actors, and provided additional funding for County Veteran Service Offices. That balanced approach was rejected in favor of a blanket prohibition that limits access rather than improving outcomes.

Other states have chosen reform over restriction. California instead chose prohibition. This decision will eliminate jobs, drive legitimate Veteran serving businesses out of state, and reduce transparency for Veterans seeking help.

 

“This bill does not protect Veterans. It protects a broken status quo,” Gonzalez added. “If we are serious about having Veterans’ backs, we should be expanding access and accountability, not taking options away from the people who earned these benefits through their service.”