Committee urges Congress to pass Major Richard Star Act to restore concurrent benefits for some veterans

A House committee on Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness unanimously advanced House Resolution 234, calling on Congress to pass the Major Richard Star Act to allow medically retired service members to receive full concurrent retirement and disability benefits.

Representative Piali, the resolution’s sponsor, described Major Richard Starr’s service and advocacy and said the federal Major Richard Star Act would end the practice that reduces military retirement pay by the amount of VA disability benefits for many medically retired service members. "For every dollar of disability pay that a veteran receives with fewer than 20 years of service and a disability rating below 50% have their retirement payments reduced by that same amount," Representative Piali said. He told the committee an estimated 50,000 medically retired service members are affected and that the average offset is about $1,900 per month.

Chair Gillan and other members voiced strong support. "We need to stop the forfeiting of earned benefits," the chair said, urging a unanimous vote. The committee chair moved the resolution to the floor for consideration; the transcript records the committee advancing House Resolution 234 without a recorded opposition.

The measure before the committee was a resolution urging federal action; it does not itself change federal law. Representative Piali framed the action as an expression of the state legislature’s support for federal legislation that would permit concurrent receipt of military retirement pay and Department of Veterans Affairs disability benefits for eligible medically retired service members.