CONGRESS: Memorializes Congress and the administration of United States President Donald Trump to pass the Major Richard Star Act.

SLS 26RS-2222 ORIGINAL
2026 Regular Session
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 70
BY SENATOR CLOUD
CONGRESS. Memorializes Congress and the administration of United States President
Donald Trump to pass the Major Richard Star Act.
1 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
2 To memorialize the Congress of the United States and the administration of United States
3 President Donald Trump to take such actions as are necessary to pass the Major
4 Richard Star Act to ensure that combat-wounded, medically retired service members
5 receive full military entitlements.
6 WHEREAS, the law currently prohibits approximately fifty thousand combat-
7 wounded, medically retired service members from receiving, concurrently, a full military
8 retirement pay and disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs; and
9 WHEREAS, this prohibition results in a dollar-for-dollar offset, denying veterans full
10 earned benefits despite the many sacrifices made in service to our great nation; and
11 WHEREAS, Richard Star was a decorated United States Army Major who served on
12 the front line in Iraq and Afghanistan, suffered serious combat-related injuries leading to a
13 medical retirement, and tragically passed away from lung cancer in 2021; and
14 WHEREAS, upon his death, the family of Major Richard Star loss significant
15 retirement benefits as a direct result of the unjust dollar-for-dollar offset; and
16 WHEREAS, support of the Major Richard Star Act includes six members of the
17 Louisiana congressional delegation: Representatives Julia Letlow (R-LA-5), Troy A. Carter
18 (D-LA-2), Cleo Fields (D-LA-6), and Clay Higgins (R-LA-3) in the House of
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1 Representatives, and Senators John Kennedy (R-LA) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) in the United
2 States Senate; and
3 WHEREAS, the Major Richard Star Act, reintroduced in the 119th Congress as H.R.
4 2101 in the House of Representatives and S.1032 in the Senate, would eliminate the offset
5 for veterans with combat-related disabilities and allow service members to receive, without
6 reduction, both the earned retirement pay from the Department of Defense and a disability
7 compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs; and
8 WHEREAS, H.R.2102, sponsored by Representative Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL),
9 currently has three hundred fourteen cosponsors in the United States House of
10 Representatives, and S.1032, sponsored by Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), has
11 seventy-seven cosponsors in the United States Senate, demonstrating strong bipartisan
12 support; and
13 WHEREAS, despite widespread bipartisan support and the introduction of the
14 legislation in March 2025, the Major Richard Star Act remains stalled in committee as of
15 February 2026, with no floor vote or further action taken; and
16 WHEREAS, the Legislature of Louisiana is deeply disappointed that the United
17 States Congress has failed to enact the Major Richard Star Act, thereby neglecting to
18 properly care for our combat-injured veterans who have sacrificed so much for our freedom
19 and security; and
20 WHEREAS, passing the Major Richard Star Act is essential to honor the promises
21 made to our military veterans and ensure that proper entitlements and the full benefits
22 earned, through member service and sacrifice, are received.
23 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana memorializes
24 the Congress of the United States and the administration of United States President Donald
25 Trump to take such actions as are necessary to pass the Major Richard Star Act (H.R.2102
26 and S.l032) to ensure that combat wounded, medically retired service members receive
27 proper military entitlements.
28 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted
29 to the president of the United States, the secretary of the United States Senate, the clerk of
30 the House of Representatives, and each member of the Louisiana delegation to the United
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1 States Congress in recognition of the urgent need to support our nation's combat-wounded,
2 medically retired service members.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Senate Legislative Services.
The keyword, summary, and digest do not constitute part of the law or proof
or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
DIGEST
SCR 70 Original 2026 Regular Session Cloud
Memorializes Congress and the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to take such
actions as are necessary to pass the Major Richard Star Act to ensure that combat-wounded,
medically retired service members receive full military entitlements.
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