of the Washington State Attorney Generals Office Standing Up for Our Veterans CWAG Annual Meeting Sun Valley Resort Tuesday July 19 2016 Bob Ferguson Washington Attorney General Overview ID: 589048
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Military & Veteran Assistance Initiative
of the
Washington State Attorney General’s Office
Standing Up for Our Veterans
CWAG Annual Meeting
Sun Valley Resort
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Bob Ferguson
Washington Attorney GeneralSlide3
Overview
Why it is important
What we are doing
Call to actionSlide4
Military Communities
Major military installations
All 5 branches of service
Over 65,000 active duty and reserve personnel
Over 8,000 more serving in National GuardSlide5
From a Family of VeteransSlide6
Previous Work
Veterans & Human Services Levy
Expanded existing services
Funded new services such as civil legal aid for veterans
Veterans Treatment Court
Therapeutic court modelReduces recidivism and improves outcomesSlide7
Veteran Communities: Washington
Over 600,000 veterans; Almost 10% of state population
Veterans have different experiences and needs
Make the connections
Partner with other agencies and organizations
Washington
’s Veterans
Male
: 539,231
Female: 64,392
Wartime: 459,831
Peacetime:
143,791
WWII: 24,842
Korea:
44,052
Vietnam: 208,485
Gulf
War: 208,006
Source: National Center for Veterans Analysis and StatisticsSlide8
New AG Initiative
New initiative as of 2013. Within the first 6 months:
Designated office’s first-ever Veteran Outreach Specialist
Established internal “Military & Veteran Assistance Team”Slide9
New AG Initiative
Within first 6 months:
Created specific military/veteran section of websiteSlide10
New AG Initiative
Within first 6 months:
Committed to being supportive employer by signing ESGR “Statement of Support”Slide11
New AG Initiative
Within first 6 months:
Started tracking military/veteran status of consumer complaintsSlide12
Strategic Goals
Engage
the veteran and military communities to increase understanding about the issues they face and raise awareness about the AGO as a resource
Educate
veterans, military families, and the public at large about the federal and state legal rights and protections available
Encourage the development of policies that strengthen the support available to veterans, military personnel, and their familiesEnforce the legal protections within the AGO’s authoritySlide13
Engage
: Boots on the Ground
Building and sustaining relationships
Attending community events
Sending regular topic-specific newsletters
Be prepared to answer: “What can you do for me?”Slide14
Educate
: Legal Resource Guide
Provides information on:
Consumer laws
Employment laws
Other veteran and military-specific laws
Legal proceedings and assistance
Available online
Distributed approximately 3,500 physical copies to dateSlide15
Encourage
: Legislation
Strengthening Economic Protections: HB 2171
Joint request with Governor; Passed unanimously
Aligns state and federal law re: enforcement authority of
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) protectionsSCRA protections include: 6% interest rate cap, foreclosures & evictions, residential & auto lease terminationsSlide16
Encourage
: Legislation
Pension Poacher Prevention Act: SB 6208
Passed unanimously
Warnings issued by VA, AARP, and FTC; Dishonest advisers claim to offer free help for VA pension claims
Law strengthens disclosures and provides new enforcement toolsSlide17
Encourage
: Legislation
Office of Military & Veteran Legal Assistance
Strong bipartisan support, but did not pass
Similar to legislation requested by AG
Laxalt and passed in NevadaAuthorizes AGO to promote and facilitate pro bono for military service members and veteransSlide18
Enforce
: Consumer Protection
Assistant Attorney General
John Nelson
Consumer Protection Division’s litigation lead on issues involving veterans and service members
Judge Advocate General in the Army
Served in Iraq; Bronze Star recipientSlide19
Enforce
: Consumer Protection
Freedom Furniture
Alleged deceptive advertising and aggressive debt collection practices
Contacted command chain to disclose debt details
Promoting military allotments after practice was prohibitedDeceptive price referencesPromises of military discounts that only applied to narrow selection of discontinued itemsStore in Lakewood closed
Editorial: “satisfying victory…that serves notice to would be sharks that preying on the military is a high-risk venture.”Slide20
Enforce
: Consumer Protection
Emerald Capital
Involved the sale of annuities and living trusts to veterans applying for Aid & Attendance (VA benefit)
$62,000 settlement, including consumer restitution
Firm stopped operationsFirst case investigated under the Pension Poacher Prevention ActSlide21
Questions / Comments?
Kate Kelly, Policy Director
katek@atg.wa.gov
206-389-2150
John Nelson, Assistant Attorney General, Consumer Protection
JohnN2@atg.wa.gov206-389-3842Travis Alley, Assistant Attorney General & Veterans Outreach Specialisttravisa@atg.wa.gov
206-464-6431Slide22