Senator Reverend Warnock and a bipartisan cohort of lawmakers introduced the Major Richard Star Actto provide combat-injured veterans with full earned disability compensation and retired pay
The bill will provide a technical fix and eliminate the “concurrent receipt offset” that veterans are experiencing between their retirement pay and disability pay
Senator Reverend Warnock: “As a voice for Georgia in the U.S. Senate and the proud son of a veteran, I’m committed to making sure Washington is keeping its promise to our courageous servicemembers who served on the front lines”
Washington D.C. — Continuing his push to deliver veterans the benefits they have earned, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) joined a bipartisan group of senators in introducing the Major Richard Star Act—bipartisan legislation to provide combat-injured veterans with less than 20 years of military service their full benefits.
Currently, only veterans with disability ratings above 50 percent and more than 20 years of service are eligible to receive the full amount of their Department of Defense (DoD) retirement and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability payments, leaving behind medically retired combat veterans with less than 20 years of service. The Major Richard Star Act will fix this policy for medically retired combat veterans—providing them their full VA disability and DoD retirement payments. This bipartisan legislation is named in honor of Major Richard A. Star, a decorated war veteran who was forced to medically retire due to his combat-related injuries. Major Star sadly lost his battle with cancer on February 13, 2021. The bill is led by Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-MT) and U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) and was first introduced in the 117th Congress on February 22, 2021.
“As a voice for Georgia in the U.S. Senate and the proud son of a veteran, I’m committed to making sure Washington is keeping its promise to our courageous servicemembers who served on the front lines,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “That is why I am partnering with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to introduce the Major Richard Star Act, so veterans can get the benefits they’ve earned in a timely and fair manner. Georgia is fortunate to be home to many veterans, and it’s an honor to advocate for them. I look forward to working with my colleagues to get this bill over the finish line.”
The son of a veteran and stalwart champion for Georgia’s veterans and military communities, previously Senator Warnock fought hard to pass the PACT Act, the largest expansion of veterans’ health benefits in decades. In September 2022, Senator Warnock’s bipartisan Patient Advocate Tracker Act —legislation which will increase transparency and accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for veterans who report concerns they experience with VA health care services—was signed into law, and Senator Warnock also previously worked to successfully pass his bill to study disparities in access to VA benefits. Additionally, Senator Warnock introduced legislation in October 2021 to upgrade standards of care in veterans’ homes, and he has demanded action from the VA to address a mail pile-up at the Atlanta VA that persisted for over a year.
The full text of the bill can be found here.
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