Major Richard Star Act
- Bill Number
- S. 1032
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-03-13: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-17T14:18:23Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Major Richard Star Act (S. 1032) aims to allow certain military disability retirees—specifically those with combat-related disabilities—to receive both their military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) at the same time, without any reductions or offsets. This addresses a long-standing policy where these benefits were typically reduced to avoid "double-dipping" on taxpayer funds.
Key Provisions
- Eligibility for Concurrent Receipt: Expands rules for Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC), a program that restores retired pay for combat-disabled retirees, by eliminating required reductions under federal law (sections 5304 and 5305 of title 38, U.S. Code, which prevent overlapping payments).
- Special Rule for Disability Retirees: Under Chapter 61 of title 10, U.S. Code (which covers retirees medically separated or retired due to disabilities), individuals with combat-related disabilities (as defined in existing law) can receive full retired pay and VA disability compensation simultaneously, ignoring offset rules.
- Technical Updates:
- Removes outdated language related to a phase-in period for concurrent receipt benefits.
- Updates section headings, tables of contents, and cross-references in title 10 to reflect these changes.
- Effective Date: Changes apply starting the first day of the first month after the bill's enactment, affecting payments for that month and onward.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Previously, military retirees eligible for VA disability compensation had their retired pay reduced dollar-for-dollar by the amount of disability pay (known as the VA waiver or offset). CRSC allowed some restoration for combat-related cases, but Chapter 61 disability retirees faced limitations.
- This bill fully eliminates offsets for Chapter 61 retirees with combat-related disabilities, building on the 2004 National Defense Authorization Act's concurrent receipt framework but extending it specifically to this group without phase-ins or caps.
- It simplifies the law by removing expired phase-in provisions, making concurrent receipt permanent and immediate for qualifying individuals.
Potential Impacts
- On Citizens: Increases financial support for affected veterans, potentially improving their quality of life by providing up to thousands of dollars more annually in combined benefits, depending on disability ratings and service length.
- On Government Agencies: The Department of Defense (DoD) and VA will need to adjust payment systems to process concurrent benefits without offsets, leading to higher federal spending (estimated costs could reach millions annually, though not specified in the bill). This may require administrative updates but no major new programs.
- On International Relations: Minimal direct impact, as it focuses on domestic U.S. military and veterans' benefits.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Primary Beneficiaries: Military disability retirees under Chapter 61 with combat-related disabilities (e.g., injuries from direct combat, hazardous duty, or simulated war conditions), including veterans from recent conflicts like Iraq and Afghanistan.
- Advocacy Groups: Veterans' organizations (e.g., American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars) likely to support and monitor implementation.
- Government Entities: DoD (handles retired pay) and VA (administers disability compensation), which will see increased payouts and coordination needs.
- Taxpayers: Indirectly affected through higher federal budget expenditures for veterans' benefits.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens veterans' benefits under title 10 and title 38 by clarifying eligibility and removing barriers, aligning with precedents like the Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) program. No challenges to constitutionality anticipated, as it expands existing entitlements without creating new rights.
- Constitutional: Supports the U.S. Constitution's provisions for providing for the military (Article I, Section 8) by enhancing support for disabled service members, without raising equal protection issues since it targets a specific, meritorious group.
- Political: Demonstrates strong bipartisan backing (introduced by Sen. Blumenthal with 40+ cosponsors from both parties), signaling broad congressional consensus on veterans' issues. Could set precedent for further expansions of concurrent receipt to non-combat disabilities, influencing future defense authorization bills and budget debates.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
Cosponsors (79)
Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID], Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL], Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA], Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO], Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ], Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR], Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL], Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV], Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX], Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV], Sen. Cotton, Tom [R-AR], Sen. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND], Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX], Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT], Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL], Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL], Sen. Fetterman, John [D-PA], Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY], Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH], Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO], Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI], Sen. Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-MS], Sen. Justice, James C. [R-WV], Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ], Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA], Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ], Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME], Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN], Sen. Marshall, Roger [R-KS], Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS], Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK], Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA], Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA], Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI], Sen. Ricketts, Pete [R-NE], Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID], Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV], Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT], Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY], Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH], Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA], Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA], Sen. Young, Todd [R-IN], Sen. Lujan, Ben Ray [D-NM], Sen. Hawley, Josh [R-MO], Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR], Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI], Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR], Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY], Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA] and 29 more
Recent Actions
- 2025-03-13: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
- 2025-03-13: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Major Richard Star Act — issued 2025-03-13 — PDF (4 pages)