HR 234 — A Resolution urging the Congress of the United States to support the Major Richard Star Act (H.R. 2102) to allow medically retired service members to receive full access to their much-deserved retirement pay and benefits.

PRINTER'S NO.   1682

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



           HOUSE RESOLUTION
              No. 234
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY PIELLI, GIRAL, HILL-EVANS, FREEMAN, SOLOMON,
        SANCHEZ, HOHENSTEIN, FLEMING AND CIRESI, MAY 9, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
        PREPAREDNESS, MAY 12, 2025


                                 A RESOLUTION
 1   Urging the Congress of the United States to support the Major
 2      Richard Star Act (H.R. 2102) to allow medically retired
 3      service members to receive full access to their much-deserved
 4      retirement pay and benefits.
 5      WHEREAS, Major Richard Star was an Iraq and Afghanistan
 6   veteran who, after exposure to burn pits during his service,
 7   received a diagnosis of lung cancer; and
 8      WHEREAS, Due to his diagnosis, Major Richard Star was forced
 9   to retire before completing 20 years of service and was
10   therefore unable to collect his retirement and disability
11   benefits; and
12      WHEREAS, For every dollar of disability pay they receive,
13   veterans with less than 20 years of service and a disability
14   rating of less than 50% will have their retirement pay reduced
15   by a dollar; and
16      WHEREAS, An estimated 50,000 retired service members are
17   ineligible for concurrent benefits under the current rules; and
18      WHEREAS, According to the Congressional Budget Office, in
 1   2022, the average offset was approximately $1,900 a month; and
 2      WHEREAS, The Major Richard Star Act would remove these
 3   restrictions and ensure that all service members who have
 4   medically retired can receive full access to retirement pay and
 5   Department of Veterans Affairs disability benefits; and
 6      WHEREAS, After dying from his battle with lung cancer in
 7   2021, Major Richard Star's widow claimed that his greatest goal
 8   was to get legislation passed providing for the removal of these
 9   restrictions; and
10      WHEREAS, The United States owes these benefits to its
11   veterans regardless of the cost associated with their
12   allocation; therefore be it
13      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
14   Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the Congress of the United
15   States to support the Major Richard Star Act (H.R. 2102) to
16   allow medically retired service members to receive full access
17   to their much-deserved retirement pay and benefits; and be it
18   further
19      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
20   Commonwealth of Pennsylvania call upon our colleagues in the
21   Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to urge the Congress
22   of the United States to support the Major Richard Star Act (H.R.
23   2102); and be it further
24      RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to
25   each member of Congress from Pennsylvania.




20250HR0234PN1682                  - 2 -