Gov. Newsom poised to strip California Veterans of choice, rights and timely access to disability benefits
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Feb. 10, 2026)
Today, Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to sign Senate Bill 694 in the name of “protecting Veterans.” In reality, SB 694 does the opposite — it strips thousands of California Veterans of their freedom to choose how they access the disability benefits owed through service, injury and sacrifice.
Despite calls for a veto, the governor chose to side with interests invested in maintaining a system that limits Veterans’ choice, rather than with Veterans themselves. The outcome is a bill that undermines access to benefits while presenting itself as protective. SB 694 is not a Veteran-centered policy; it is a gatekeeping policy.
Across California — and across the country — Veterans have been abandoning traditional systems not because they want to, but because those systems have failed them. County offices, state agencies, federal backlogs and overwhelmed Veteran service organizations routinely leave Veterans waiting months or years for help, often resulting in under-rated claims, denials or endless appeals.
Private companies stepped in to fill this gap because the need was overwhelming. Veterans chose them because they worked.
SB 694 wipes those options off the table.
The bill was advanced using every political trick in the book. It was passed through the Assembly as a completely different bill before being gutted and amended in the Senate. Bill supporters framed Veteran choice as exploitation, silenced dissenting Veteran voices and elevated the loudest institutional stakeholders while ignoring the lived experience of disabled Veterans who rely on these services to survive.
The governor’s decision doesn’t just eliminate choice — it delays care, delays income and delays stability for Veterans who are already struggling.
Veterans know what delay costs.
Industry data show that the average financial loss associated with prolonged benefit wait times exceeds $18,000 per Veteran. That loss isn’t theoretical — it means missed rent, deferred medical care, untreated PTSD and families left without support.
In a recent survey, 95% of Veterans said they deserve the right to choose who helps them with their benefits. SB 694 ignores that reality entirely.
“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.”
Other states facing this same issue have chosen balance — targeting bad actors while preserving Veteran choice through commonsense guardrails. California chose prohibition instead.
The consequences extend beyond Veterans. SB 694 will eliminate California jobs, force legitimate Veteran-serving businesses out of state and push assistance underground — reducing transparency, accountability and oversight.
Most troubling of all is the political calculation underlying today’s signing.
The governor appears to believe this move will earn him credit with a narrow but vocal set of stakeholders. He is wrong.
Veterans are watching. Their families are watching. And Californians are watching a governor trade real access to care for a press conference headline.
If Newsom intends to present himself nationally as a leader who “has Veterans’ backs,” today’s decision sends the opposite message.
This is bad policy, bad optics and a devastating mistake — and California Veterans will pay the price.
About Veteran Benefits Guide
VBG helps Veterans navigate the complicated VA disability claims process to attain their earned benefits. Its knowledgeable and highly-trained staff guide Veterans in compiling and filing their claims. By ensuring claims are accurate and filed correctly the first time, Veterans can avoid the need for costly and time-consuming appeals, which also helps reduce the VA case backlog. Since its 2015 founding, VBG has helped more than 55,000 Veterans to file successful new claims or increase their disability ratings. A Military Times Best for Vets: Employers awardee, VBG is headquartered in Las Vegas with an additional office in San Diego. For more information on VBG, visit VBG.com.
Media contacts
Sage Sammons
ssammons@vbg.com