MJR. RICHARD STAR ACT-SUPPORT

104th Regular Session Introduced by Jay Hoffman and 2 co-sponsors

The bill urges Congress to remove the concurrent receipt offset so medically retired service members can receive full retirement pay plus full VA disability benefits.

Resolution Adopted

Summary of HR0722 (104th General Assembly, Illinois) – MJR. RICHARD STAR ACT-SUPPORT

Purpose and intent

The bill is a United States federal-oriented resolution adopted by the Illinois House of Representatives urging Congress to pass the Major Richard Star Act.

The core goal is to allow medically retired service members to receive full access to both retirement pay and Department of Veterans Affairs disability benefits without offset or reduction due to concurrent benefits rules.

Key provisions and changes

The resolution explicitly urges Congress to remove the current offset that reduces a veteran’s retirement pay dollar-for-dollar based on disability compensation for those with less than 20 years of service and a disability rating below 50%.

It asserts that about 50,000 retired service members are ineligible for concurrent receipt under existing rules.

Citing the Congressional Budget Office, it notes that in 2022 the average offset was approximately $1,900 per month.

The resolution promotes federal legislative action to ensure medically retired service members can receive both full retirement pay and VA disability compensation.

Affected individuals and entities

Medically retired military veterans who have less than 20 years of service and receive disability benefits.

Specifically, those who currently face a dollar-for-dollar offset between retirement pay and VA disability compensation.

Recipient impact includes potential restoration of full concurrent benefits (retirement pay plus disability pay) for medically retired personnel.

The resolution also targets federal policymakers (President, Senate leadership, House leadership) and the Illinois congressional delegation for advocacy.

Procedural and timeline aspects

The measure is a House of Representatives resolution urging federal action rather than a bill that would directly change state law or funding.

Action history indicates:

Filed March 10, 2026
Referred to Rules Committee (March 18, 2026)
Assigned to Veterans’ Affairs Committee (April 27, 2026)
Co-sponsorship updates and leadership changes occurred in May 2026
Recommends Be Adopted by Veterans’ Affairs Committee (May 12, 2026)

As a resolution, it does not itself enact policy but signals legislative support and urges federal action.

Additional notes

Major Richard Star, an Iraq/Afghanistan veteran who faced lung cancer after exposure to burn pits, is the namesake. The resolution references his experience and calls for the removal of concurrent receipt restrictions to honor veterans’ benefits.

The measure emphasizes a normative stance: the United States owes these benefits to veterans, irrespective of cost, and seeks federal legislative change to the concurrent receipt framework (the Major Richard Star Act) at the national level.