By Tara Jones | Founder, National Women Veterans Association
As a Black woman veteran, I have learned that when lawmakers talk about “protecting veterans,” they are often talking about someone else.
Too often, policy in Sacramento assumes that all veterans experience the Department of Veterans Affairs the same way. We do not. Black veterans, especially Black women, navigate a system marked by unequal outcomes, limited access, and a lack of accountability. Senate Bill 694 is a clear example of that disconnect.
Supporters argue SB 694 protects veterans from fraud by restricting who may assist with VA disability claims. No one disputes the need to protect veterans from bad actors. But this bill goes further, effectively criminalizing many of the informal and community-based support systems that marginalized veterans rely on to survive a complex, backlogged system.
The disparities are not anecdotal. A U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) review of VA disability compensation decisions from 2010–2020 found that Black veterans had the lowest approval rates of any racial group: 61% compared to 75% for White veterans. The same report found that for nine of the ten most common disability conditions, Black male veterans were approved 3 to 22 percentage points less often than White male veterans (GAO, 2022).
When the system already delivers unequal outcomes, restricting access to help does not create fairness, it deepens inequity. Homeless veterans will feel this first. In California, more than 9,000 veterans experienced homelessness, with approximately two-thirds unsheltered. For veterans living in vehicles, shelters, or on the street, access to “free” help during limited office hours is often not real access at all. Transportation, phones, internet, and stable mailing addresses are barriers. SB 694 narrows options precisely when flexibility is most critical.
Women veterans are also growing in number and still underserved. CalVet reports more than 155,000 women veterans living in California, representing roughly 11% of the state’s veteran population. Many navigate claims involving military sexual trauma, gender-specific healthcare, or service records that fail to reflect their duties. When trusted help is restricted, women veterans are more likely to disengage altogether.
Black veteran business owners face collateral damage as well. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Business Survey, Black or African American veterans owned over 15,000 employer firms nationwide, accounting for roughly 5% of veteran-owned employer businesses. Disability benefit delays affect housing stability, credit, payroll, and the ability to keep businesses open, hurting entire communities, not just individual veterans.
Supporters of SB 694 often point to Veterans Service Organizations as the alternative. And it is true: many VSOs have done meaningful good. But goodwill does not erase reality. The VA defines a claim as “backlogged” once it exceeds 125 days, and as of late 2025, more than 100,000 claims remained backlogged nationwide.
Meanwhile, the money is vast. The VA reports distributing approximately $195 billion annually in compensation and pension payments, with disability compensation alone exceeding $180 billion per year. With resources at this scale, veterans have a right to ask: why do disparities persist and why are marginalized veterans still waiting? SB 694 does not fix the VA. It does not address racial gaps in approvals. It does not reduce homelessness. Instead, it restricts choice and punishes veterans who seek help outside a system that has repeatedly failed them.
Real protection means expanding access, transparency, and accountability, not shrinking options for those already on the margins. Black veterans do not need the state to decide who we are allowed to trust. We need reforms that confront inequity honestly and ensure no veteran is forced to fight another battle just to receive the benefits they earned.