As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session H. C. R. No. 49

2025-2026

Representative Willis

A c o n c u r r e n t R E S O L U T I O N

To urge the United States Congress to enact the Major Richard Star Act.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF OHIO (THE SENATE CONCURRING):

WHEREAS, The Major Richard Star Act seeks to amend federal law to expand eligibility for concurrent receipt of disability compensation and retirement pay for veterans, allowing eligible veterans to receive the full benefits they earned through their service and sacrifice; and

WHEREAS, Current federal law requires a dollar-for-dollar offset of Department of Defense retirement pay for any veteran with a disability who was medically retired with fewer than twenty years of service, denying veterans the full benefits they earned and creating significant financial hardship for approximately fifty thousand medically retired combat-wounded veterans nationwide; and

WHEREAS, These veterans, including many who sustained combat-related injuries, lose on average more than one thousand dollars per month in earned benefits because of the offset, despite the fact that military retirement and disability benefits compensate for two distinct forms of service and sacrifice; and

WHEREAS, The Major Richard Star Act has strong bipartisan support in Congress, including cosponsors from states across the nation, and has been endorsed by numerous veterans service organizations for its role in correcting this longstanding inequity; and

WHEREAS, Veterans with disabilities and their families have advocated for the elimination of the offset due to the physical, psychological, and financial burdens it imposes, and have urged Congress to act swiftly to ensure full, earned compensation; and

WHEREAS, Ohio is home to thousands of veterans with disabilities who have served honorably and are impacted by the current offset policy; and

WHEREAS, The Ohio General Assembly recognizes the need to support these veterans by urging Congress to pass this important legislation; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 136th General Assembly of the State of Ohio, in adopting this resolution, urge the United States Congress to enact the Major Richard Star Act; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, the President Pro Tempore and Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, each member of the Ohio Congressional delegation, and the news media of Ohio.