Dr. Ruiz, Rep. Bilirakis Lead Bipartisan Effort to Help Disabled Veterans

Washington, DC – Congressmen Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) and Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) introduced legislation to help disabled veterans access the needed benefits they deserve. H.R. 5995, the Major Richard Star Act, would allow veterans to receive their full disability pay and full retirement compensation that they have rightfully earned regardless of how long they served.

"After serving and sacrificing for our nation, too many veterans face unnecessary roadblocks in receiving the benefits they have earned and deserve," said Dr. Ruiz. "That's why I joined my friend, Congressman Bilirakis, in introducing the Major Richard Star Act, which would repeal the unjust law that stands in the way of veterans receiving the military retirement pay and service-connected disability compensation that they have rightfully earned."

"The brave men and women who return from serving our country should be able to receive the benefits promised to them," said Rep. Bilirakis. "Military retirement pay and service-connected disability compensation are two completely different benefits. One does not diminish the merits of the other. While I am still committed to rectifying this injustice for all veterans, passage of the Major Richard Star Act gets us one step closer to our goal of ensuring that veterans receive the benefits they have earned and deserve."

In a joint letter, six leading Veterans Service Organizations praised the Major Richard Star Act for its efforts to aid veterans.

"The veterans in most need are those with combat injuries and less than 20 years of service," the letter read. "The Major Richard Star Act would provide total offset relief. This also reduces the number of people still awaiting total concurrent receipt, and commensurately reduces the cost of total concurrent receipt for all retirees who should keep both their retired pay and disability compensation."

You can read a copy of the letter of support here.

Background:

In 2004, the Concurrent Receipt and Disability Pay (CRDP) program went into effect, allowing military retirees with a disability rating of 50% or higher to receive both military retirement pay and Veterans Affairs compensation. This had previously been prohibited by law.

However, those who retired from the military under Chapter 61 due to combat-related injuries with less than 20 years of service are excluded from the CRDP program. These retirees have their disability pay deducted from their retirement pay.

H.R. 5995 repeals this unfair offset and allows combat-wounded Chapter 61 veterans to participate in the Concurrent Receipt Program, receiving their retirement pay from the Department of the Defense and their disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs.