HB 1076 Mississippi House · 2026 Regular Session

Preserving Lawful Utilization of Services for Veterans Act of 2026 (PLUS Act); create.

HB 1076, the "Safeguarding American Veteran Empowerment (SAVE) Act," regulates private individuals or companies that assist veterans with benefits claims. It directly affects veterans seeking help with VA benefits and the advisors who charge for such services. Key provisions include banning upfront or nonrefundable fees, requiring written agreements that cap fees at five times any monthly benefit increase, prohibiting guarantees of specific outcomes, and mandating clear disclosures that free VA or state services are available. The bill also restricts advisors from using veterans' personal login credentials and requires background checks for anyone accessing veterans' medical or financial information.

Issues: ✓ Veterans

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

House Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Feb 2026

Signed into Law

Apr 2026

Introduced Feb 5, 2026 Signed Apr 8, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

As Passed the lower → Current version · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was renamed from the 'SAVE Act' to the 'PLUS Act' and significantly restructured its definitions and prohibitions. The new version clarifies that compensation is only allowed if a veteran explicitly waives their right to free government services, adds a specific dollar cap ($12,500) on contingency fees, and strengthens background check requirements for anyone accessing veteran data. These changes aim to increase transparency and protect veterans from predatory practices while maintaining protections for accredited legal professionals.

Scope change

The scope of prohibited practices was expanded to explicitly include businesses and clarify that compensation is contingent upon the veteran choosing to deny free services. The exemption for accredited agents and attorneys was moved to a subsection rather than a standalone section.

DEFINITION

The bill title and short title were changed from 'Safeguarding American Veteran Empowerment (SAVE) Act' to 'Preserving Lawful Utilization of Services for Veterans Act (PLUS Act)'.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement for a signed waiver was updated to clarify that compensation is only permissible if the veteran acknowledges they are within the one-year presumptive period and actively chooses to deny free services.

A specific monetary cap was added, limiting contingency fees to the lesser of five times the monthly benefit increase or $12,500.

Background check requirements were strengthened to mandate that checks be conducted by a 'reputable source' and must include identity verification and a criminal records check.

ENFORCEMENT

The specific Mississippi Code section cited for unfair trade practices was changed from Section 75-24-1 to Section 75-24-5.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 26, 2026 · House Feb 4, 2026

How they voted

47–0

Passed · 5 other

Total votes 52

Feb 26, 2026

D Democratic18

14 Yea 4

77% Yea

R Republican34

33 Yea 1

97% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 8, 2026

Signed into law

Approved by Governor

executive

Mar 31, 2026

Lower · Passed

Conference Report Adopted

lower

Mar 30, 2026

Upper · Passed

Conference Report Filed

upper

Mar 26, 2026

Committee

Recommitted For Further Conf

lower

Mar 25, 2026

Upper · Passed

Conference Report Filed

upper

Mar 9, 2026

Lower · Passed

Concurred in Amend From Senate

lower

Feb 26, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed As Amended

upper

Feb 26, 2026

Upper · Passed

Amended

upper

Feb 19, 2026

Upper · Passed

Title Suff Do Pass As Amended

upper

Feb 16, 2026

Committee

Referred To Veterans and Military Affairs

upper

Feb 5, 2026

Introduced

Transmitted To Senate

lower

Feb 4, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed

lower

Jan 21, 2026

Lower · Passed

Title Suff Do Pass

lower

Jan 16, 2026

Committee

Referred To Military Affairs

lower

1 primary · 3 co-sponsors