WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) joined Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and 40 of their colleagues in reintroducing the bipartisan Major Richard Star Act. The bill allows combat-injured veterans with fewer than 20 years of military service to receive the full retirement benefits concurrent with their disability compensation.

Currently, only veterans with over 20 years of military service and a 50 percent or more disabled rating can qualify to receive Department of Defense retirement and Department of Veterans Affairs disability payments concurrently. 

“Veterans medically retired by injuries sustained in combat are heroes who have earned their full benefits and compensation. Their service and sacrifice unite us and this legislation demonstrates our commitment to ensuring they are not denied the vital support they have earned and are owed,” Boozman said.

“The Major Richard Star Act corrects a severe injustice for combat-wounded veterans,” said Crapo. “The support for this correction is clear. Though the namesake of our legislation is no longer with us, I continue to press for its passage on behalf of the more than 50,000 veterans, including hundreds in Idaho, who stand to benefit.”

“This measure corrects one of the deepest injustices in our present veterans’ disability system,” said Blumenthal. “It is unacceptable that tens of thousands of combat-injured veterans are denied the full military benefits they earned. Our bipartisan bill will right this longstanding injustice and finally provide these military retirees who have already sacrificed so much their full VA disability and Defense Department retirement payments.”

Major Richard Star was a decorated war veteran after whom this legislation is named. Major Star retired due to combat related injuries and passed away from cancer in 2021. 

Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Rick Scott (R-FL), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Katie Britt (R-AL), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), John Cornyn (R-TX), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Jim Justice (R-WV), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), John Kennedy (R-LA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), James Risch (R-ID), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NV), Mark Warner (D-VA) and Raphael Warnock (D-GA) also cosponsored the bill. 

Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL-12).

Full text of the legislation is available here.