Reject California Senate Bill 694: Don’t deny military families the options they deserve

By Julie Ferland

Read it in Stars and Stripes

Sailors reunite with family and friends on the pier at Naval Air Station North Island after the USS Carl Vinson returns to its homeport of San Diego on Aug. 14, 2025. (Elizabeth Grubbs/U.S. Navy)

If there’s one thing Americans can agree on, it’s that their local, state and federal government should protect citizens from exploitation and scams.

I also believe all levels of government can do a lot more to help vulnerable populations, especially veterans who have some of the highest rates of homelessness and mental health symptoms after serving our country.

Proponents of California Senate Bill 694 say the bill will do just that — protecting military families like mine from exploitation. But the reality is that it will lead to more harm and fewer veterans getting the help they need, in two ways.

First, by robbing us of the freedom to choose the help we need to navigate the labyrinth known as the Department of Veterans Affairs. And second, by blocking California veterans from accessing trusted partners who often make the difference between getting care and being left in limbo.

As a former ombudsman for the USS Harry S. Truman, the ship on which my husband served, I’ve seen just how devastating limbo can be. Just 12 years ago, the VA had a staggering backlog of over 600,000 disability claims. Countless veterans returning from deployment suddenly faced new battles with the VA, and families endured months of silence while claims festered in a bureaucratic morass. Wounded service members relived trauma in endless paperwork loops. Some even gave up, not because their need wasn’t real, but because the system broke them down.

These numbers aren’t abstract to me. They are the faces of families I knew and whom I saw struggle before, during and after deployments. They are my neighbors and friends — and will be my family when my husband’s career come to its end.

I’ve also worked in the mental health space, so I’m familiar with how mental health challenges impact families. Many veterans and their families hide physical challenges, post-traumatic stress disorder, and financial difficulties out of shame and a fear of appearing vulnerable.

And even once the VA says it’ll help, it often keeps messing up the process. A huge percentage of initial claims are denied, leaving veterans to fight years of appeals. An audit last year also found the vast majority of improper claims payments were underpayments — meaning that veterans were not getting the full benefit they deserved.

That’s why SB 694 alarms me. Families like mine can’t afford to be locked into the pathways that haven’t worked. We need the freedom to seek help from skilled advocates who know how to fight through the bureaucracy. Too often, it’s those advocates — not official channels — that keep veterans afloat.

That’s what some groups that back SB694 are missing. The Veterans of Foreign Wars are pressuring lawmakers by saying veterans will bang on their doors for the bill — but let’s be real. After years or decades of challenging service, most veterans are focused on making sure that their families are secure, and that means being able to partner with whomever is the best fit for securing their benefits.

Yes, bad actors exist. I’ve seen them exploit desperation, charging sky-high fees and making empty promises. I welcome laws that shut them down. But protecting veterans from thieves doesn’t require taking away all of our choices. It requires balance: guardrails that stop exploitation while preserving access to those who truly help.

SB 694 gets that balance wrong. Instead of defending veterans, it defends bureaucracy. It tells families, “Trust the same system that’s already failed you, and don’t look elsewhere.” That’s not protection — it’s abandonment dressed up as reform.

I believe government can and should improve people’s lives. But it shouldn’t be about narrowing options; it’s about opening doors.

It’s about meeting families where they are and giving them every tool to secure the benefits they’ve earned.

Military families sacrifice enough already. We live with uncertainty every time our loved ones deploy. We manage households alone, raise children through long absences, and stand ready to pick up the pieces when service leaves scars. We should not also have to worry that the state will dictate how we navigate the VA’s maze.

If California truly wants to set the standard for honoring veterans, lawmakers should reject SB 694. Protect us from thieves, yes — but don’t steal our choices in the process.

Julie Ferland is a former Navy ombudsman, a military spouse, and the mother of two children.