WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senate Veterans' Affairs Chairman Jerry Moran and House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost jointly introduced the latest version of the Maj. Richard Star Act on June 10. The measure aims to expand concurrent retirement and disability benefits for disabled veterans.

Rep. Gus Bilirakis introduced the new version of the Maj. Richard Star Act as an amendment to the fiscal 2027 defense authorization bill. Bost filed an amendment last week with the House Rules Committee for the veterans legislation. The Senate released its version of the measure on June 10.

The underlying bill would allow more disabled veterans, including those with less than 20 years of service, to collect full military retirement and Department of Veterans Affairs disability benefits. For combat-injured veterans from both active and reserve forces with less than 20 years of service, the bill stipulates they can collect the lesser of their actual retirement pay plus disability benefits or their hypothetical 20-year retirement pay plus disability pay. Bost's amendment would clarify eligibility for expanded pay among retirees from reserve components. The bill text would make reservists eligible for concurrent receipt of military retirement pay and VA disability benefits if their time in service is calculated under one section of U.S. Code. The amendment to the bill would add a second section of U.S. Code for calculating reservist time in service.

Bost's amendment also proposes that the expanded benefits for affected veterans would begin immediately upon enactment, instead of in 2027. The legislation involves an increase to mandatory spending of more than $11 billion. The expanded benefits would be paid for by cuts to future disability benefits for veterans with conditions such as tinnitus or sleep apnea. Bost's amendment proposes changing the effective date of this offset to "on or after" Oct. 1.

David Star, the brother of Army reservist Maj. Richard Star, endorsed the GOP-backed veterans package when it was introduced. The legislation is named after Maj. Richard Star, who was forced to retire early due to lung cancer caused by a burn pit and has since died. David Star wrote on social media urging lawmakers to change the offset in the bill. "You could push this through the House now, but it will be stalled in the Senate or you can fix it and have an opportunity for it to be signed into law," Star said.

Rep. Gus Bilirakis filed the original version of the Star Act, which did not include an offset, as an amendment to the fiscal National Defense Authorization Act pending in the House. Rep. Mark Takano, ranking member on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, filed a discharge petition last month to force a floor vote on the original Star Act. The petition had 213 signatures as of Monday; 218 signatures are needed to force a floor vote. Bilirakis has not signed the discharge petition. Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, and Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a Republican from New Jersey, have signed the petition. The House Rules Committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday.