WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04) co-sponsored the Major Richard Star Act, bipartisan legislation to rectify an injustice that keeps disabled Veterans from receiving full military benefits.
Currently, at least 42,000 military retirees with combat-related injuries qualify for medical retirement pay for their service from the Department of Defense (DoD) and disability compensation for injuries connected to their service from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). However, for retired veterans with less than 20 years of service, their disability pay is deducted from their retirement pay. The Major Richard Star Act would repeal this unfair offset, allowing disabled veterans to receive both their retirement pay and their disability compensation.
“Utah is home to over 143,000 veterans, and it is unconscionable that any policy would deduct from the full military care and benefits they deserve,” said Rep. Owens. “I fully support the Major Richard Star Act because it reverses a longstanding roadblock for America’s disabled veterans to collect both retirement pay and disability compensation.”
The full bill text is available here.
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