As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session H. B. No. 708

2025-2026

To amend section 1345.032 and to enact section 5901.10 of the Revised Code to govern the practice of providing veterans claim consulting assistance for compensation and to establish requirements for soliciting a fee for providing a copy of a military discharge record.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. That section 1345.032 be amended and section 5901.10 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 1345.032. (A) As used in this section:

(1) "Deed" means a written instrument entitled to be recorded in the office of the county recorder of the county in which the subject property is situated that purports to convey or transfer title in fee simple of real property in this state. "Deed" includes a leasehold interest for ninety-nine years or more. "Deed" does not include instruments providing for any of the following:

(a) Common driveways;

(b) Exchanges of easements or rights-of-way;

(d) Utility service lines such as drainage, sewerage, water, electric, telephone, or other such service lines;

(e) Quitclaim of possible outstanding interests.

(2) "Military discharge record" means a United States department of defense certificate of release or discharge from active duty, form DD-214, and any other discharge document issued by the United States department of defense.

(3) "Public body" means any township, county, municipal corporation, commission, district, authority, other subdivision, or public body of this state.

~~(3)~~ (4) "Solicit" means to advertise or market to a person with whom the solicitor has no pre-existing business relationship.

(B)(1) A supplier soliciting a fee for providing a copy of a deed or a free copy of a deed in connection with the solicitation for any other service or product shall state on the top of the document used for the solicitation, in at least twenty-four-point type, all of the following:

(a) That the solicitation is not from a public body;

(b) That no action is legally required by the person being solicited;

(c) The statutory fee for, or the cost of, obtaining a copy of the deed from the county recorder who has custody of the deed;

(d) The information necessary to contact that county recorder;

(e) The name and physical address of the person soliciting the fee.

(2) A supplier who solicits a fee for providing a copy of a military discharge record, or a free copy of the record in connection with the solicitation for any other service, shall provide to the purchaser a written document before the collection of any fee. The document shall clearly set forth the fee for the service and shall state on the top of the document, in at least twenty-four-point type, all of the following:

(a) The solicitation is not from a public body;

(b) No action is legally required by the person being solicited;

(c) The military discharge record may be obtained free of charge from the national archives of the United States or from a county veterans service commission. If the military discharge record has previously been recorded with a county recorder's office, it may be obtained from that office by an authorized party under section 317.24 of the Revised Code.

(d) The information necessary to contact the national archives of the United States and the appropriate county veterans service commission;

(e) The name and physical address of the person soliciting the fee.

(3) The document used for a solicitation under this section shall not be in a form or use deadline dates or other language that makes the document appear to be a document issued by a public body or that appears to impose a legal duty on the person being solicited.

~~(3)~~ (4) A supplier soliciting a fee for providing a copy of a deed shall not charge a fee of more than four times the fee charged by the county recorder for a copy of that deed pursuant to section 317.32 of the Revised Code. A supplier soliciting a fee for providing a copy of a military discharge record shall not charge a fee in excess of five dollars per record provided.

~~(C)~~ (C)(1) A supplier soliciting a fee for providing a copy of a deed shall furnish to the office of the county recorder of each county where the solicitations are to be distributed a copy of the document that will be used for those solicitations not less than fifteen days before distributing the solicitations.

(2) A supplier that solicits a fee for providing a copy of a military discharge record shall furnish, to the county veterans service commission and to the county recorder's office of each county where the solicitation occurs, a copy of the document that will be used for the solicitation not less than fifteen days before distributing the solicitation.

(D) This section shall not apply to any of the following:

(1) A title insurance company authorized to do business in this state or its authorized agent;

(2) A mortgage loan originator, mortgage broker, lender, or servicer or a depository financial institution authorized under state and federal law to originate or service mortgage loans;

(3) A real estate broker or salesperson licensed under Chapter 4735. of the Revised Code.

(E) The attorney general may adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code specifying the contents and form of the solicitation document.

(F) A violation of division (B) or (C) of this section shall be considered an unconscionable consumer sales act or practice under section 1345.03 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 5901.10. (A) As used in this section:

"Compensation" means any money, thing of value, or economic benefit conferred on, or received by, a person in return for services rendered, or to be rendered, by the person or another.

"Veterans benefits matter" means the preparation, presentation, or prosecution of any claim affecting any person who has filed or expressed an intent to file a claim for any benefit, program, service, commodity, function, status, or entitlement that is determined to pertain to veterans, their dependents, their survivors, or any other person eligible for such benefits under the laws and regulations administered by the United States department of veterans affairs or by the state.

(B) No person shall do any of the following:

(1) Receive compensation for referring an individual to another person to advise or assist the individual with any veterans benefits matter;

(2) Receive compensation for services rendered, with respect to the individual's case, in connection with a claim filed within one year after the individual's date of separation of service;

(3) Guarantee, either directly or by implication, a successful outcome or that an individual is certain to receive specific veterans benefits or that an individual is certain to receive a specific level, percentage, or amount of veterans benefits.

(C) A person seeking to receive compensation for advising, assisting, or consulting with any individual in connection with any veterans benefits matter shall, before rendering any services, memorialize the specific terms under which the amount to be paid will be determined in a written agreement signed by both parties. Compensation shall be purely contingent upon an increase in benefits awarded, and if successful, compensation shall not exceed five times the amount of the monthly increase in benefits awarded based on the claim. No initial or nonrefundable fee may be charged by a person advising, assisting, or consulting an individual on a veterans benefit matter.

(D) Any person advising, assisting, or consulting on veterans benefits matters for compensation shall provide the following disclosure at the outset of the business relationship:

"This business is not sponsored by, or affiliated with, the United States department of veterans affairs, the Ohio department of veterans services, an Ohio county veterans service commission, or any federally chartered veterans service organization. Those organizations may be able to provide you with this service free of charge. Products or services offered by this business are not endorsed by any of these organizations. You may qualify for other veterans benefits beyond the benefits for which you are receiving services here."

The written disclosure shall appear in at least twelve-point font and shall appear in a readily noticeable and identifiable place in the person's agreement with the individual seeking services. The individual shall sign the document in which the written disclosure appears to represent understanding of these provisions. The person offering services shall retain a copy of the written disclosure while providing veterans benefits services for compensation to the individual and for at least one year after the date on which the services terminate.

(E) Any person advising, assisting, or consulting on veterans benefits matters for a fee:

(1) Shall not utilize international call centers or data centers for processing veterans personal information;

(2) Shall not use a veteran's personal log-in, username, or password information to access that veteran's medical, financial, or government benefits information;

(3) Shall ensure that any individual who has access to a veteran's medical or financial information has undergone a background check before having access to that information. The background check shall be conducted by a reputable source and include identity verification and a criminal records check.

(F) A violation of this section constitutes an unfair or deceptive act or practice in connection with a consumer transaction under Chapter 1345. of the Revised Code.

(G) Notwithstanding division (G) of section 1345.07 of the Revised Code, any civil penalties collected under Chapter 1345. of the Revised Code, for a violation of this section, shall be deposited into the military injury relief fund established in section 5902.05 of the Revised Code.

(H) This section does not apply to an agent or attorney who is or is required to be accredited under 38 C.F.R. 14.629 to assist claimants in the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims for veterans administration benefits.

Section 2. That existing section 1345.032 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.