WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Senator Rick Scott joined 43 of his bipartisan colleagues in the Senate and 186 bipartisan colleagues in the House of Representatives to reintroduce the bipartisan Major Richard Star Act. This legislation makes a critical fix to allow combat-injured veterans who retired with less than 20 years of service to receive both Department of Defense (DoD) retirement pay and VA disability compensation, full concurrent receipt, that they have rightfully earned through their service to our country. Current law requires a dollar-for-dollar offset of disability compensation and retirement pay, meaning injured veterans have to forfeit a portion of the benefits they earned in service. The Major Richard Star Act ensures our combat-injured veterans receive the benefits they have earned, regardless of their length of service, and honors the legacy of its namesake Major Richard A. Star, a decorated war veteran forced to medically retire due to his combat-related injuries.

Senator Rick Scott said, "I am a proud veteran and the son of a World War II veteran, and I have immense respect for anyone who puts on the uniform to defend our nation. Our veterans are American heroes who have made countless sacrifices. The Major Richard Star Act ensures our veterans receive the full benefits they’ve earned through their service and sacrifice protecting our nation regardless of length of service. This legislation makes a critical change to treat our veterans fairly and support our nation’s heroes. I urge my colleagues to support its quick passage.”

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