Rep. Lane Evans, D-Ill., ranking minority member on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., ranking minority member on the committee’s subcommittee on disability assistance and memorial affairs, have introduced a bill (HR-4914) that would permit veterans to hire an attorney when they disagree with a benefits claims decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Currently, veterans are not allowed to hire an attorney until the end of the administrative appeals process, specifically, after the Board of Veterans Appeals has rendered a decision. The restriction on attorney representation dates from the Civil War era when concern that lawyers would prey on sick and disabled veterans resulted in legislation which limited the fee attorneys could charge to $10. Although the $10 limit no longer applies, veterans are currently prohibited from hiring an attorney to appeal an initial VA decision.