HARRISBURG – The state Senate unanimously adopted Sen. Doug Mastriano’s (R-33) measure urging Congress to support federal benefits for military veterans.
According to current federal law, when a service member retires from the military with at least 20 years, they may receive both retirement pay from the Department of Defense and disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs if they were injured while in service. All other retirees require a dollar-for-dollar offset of these two benefits – meaning they have to forfeit a portion of the benefits they earned in service.
State Senate Resolution 116 urges Congress to support the federal Major Richard Star Act (HR 2102), which would allow all medically retired service members to receive both full access to their earned retirement pay and disability benefits even if they fall short of 20 years.
“Regardless of their years of service, our servicemen and women who are medically retired and have a disability deserve to have access to their full retirement and disability benefits which serve as an essential financial asset with the physical and mental limitations they may face,” said Mastriano. “We owe this to our former soldiers who put their lives on the line day in and day out defending our freedom.”
Mastriano serves as the chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee.
CONTACT: Nathan Silcox