Collins Joins Bipartisan Push to Provide Disabled Veterans Full Military Benefits

Press Release

U.S. Senator Susan Collins joined a bipartisan group of Senators in introducing the Major Richard Star Act, legislation to provide combat-injured veterans with less than 20 years of military service their full benefits.

Currently, military retirees with combat-related injuries qualify for retirement pay for their service. These retirees also qualify for disability compensation for injuries acquired in combat. However, for retired veterans with less than 20 years of service, roughly 42,000 veterans, their disability pay is deducted from their retirement pay. The Major Richard Star Act would repeal this unfair offset, allowing this group of disabled veterans to receive both their retirement pay and their disability compensation.

"We owe it to our veterans to provide them with the benefits they have earned through their service, particularly during the current public health and economic crisis," said Senator Susan Collins. "This bipartisan bill would address an unfair provision in current law that has enormous financial implications for many veterans and their families. By ensuring that disabled combat veterans are eligible to receive disability benefits and retirement benefits concurrently, we can continue to make progress toward fulfilling our obligation to veterans in Maine and throughout the country who have sacrificed so much for our nation."

The bill is named in honor of Major Richard A. Star--a father, husband, and decorated war veteran who, as a result of his combat-related injuries, was medically retired. Major Star sadly lost his battle with cancer on February 13, 2021.

The Major Richard Star Act received strong backing from leading Veterans Service Organizations including the Military Coalition, the Military Officer Association of America (MOAA), the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), and the Disabled American Veterans (DAV).

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