Retired Pay Restoration Act This bill allows the receipt of both military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation with respect to any service-connected disability. Under current law, only individuals with service-connected disabilities rated at 50% or more receive both without offset. Individuals who were retired or separated after at least 20 years of military service due to a service-connected disability shall be eligible for the full concurrent receipt of both veterans' disability compensation and either military retired pay or combat-related special pay.
Impact
If enacted, HB303 will have a significant financial impact on many military veterans who have struggled with the existing limitations regarding their disability compensation. The amendments made by the bill would streamline the process for additional retired members of the Armed Forces, particularly benefiting those who have been retired or separated after 20 or more years of service due to disabilities. This move acknowledges the sacrifices made by military personnel and aims to alleviate some of their financial burdens.
Summary
House Bill 303, titled the 'Retired Pay Restoration Act', seeks to amend Title 10 of the United States Code. The primary objective of this legislation is to allow military retirees with service-connected disabilities to simultaneously receive both their military retired pay and the veterans' disability compensation without offset. Currently, only veterans rated with service-connected disabilities at 50% or higher are entitled to full concurrent receipt, which this bill aims to expand.
Contention
Notably, there is a historical context behind this bill, as it addresses the legacy issues surrounding the offset that existed for over a century, whereby disabled retirees had to forfeit a portion of their earned pay for their disability compensation. While many advocates support the legislation as a necessary reform to rectifying past inequities, there may be concerns over budget implications and the projected costs associated with implementing these new entitlements, particularly in an era of constrained federal budgets.
Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act This bill modifies provisions related to military retired pay. Specifically, the bill authorizes veterans with a service-connected disability of less than 50% to concurrently receive both retired pay and disability compensation. The bill also makes qualified disability retirees with less than 20 years of retirement-creditable service eligible for concurrent receipt, subject to specified reductions in retired pay.
Veterans' True Choice Act of 2023 This bill allows covered veterans to receive coverage under TRICARE Select, a health care program of the Department of Defense (DOD). Veterans covered by this bill include those with service-connected disabilities, former prisoners of war, Purple Heart recipients, Medal of Honor recipients, those discharged from service due to disability, and those entitled to disability compensation. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must reimburse DOD's costs of enrolling eligible veteran beneficiaries in the program. A covered veteran may not concurrently receive medical care from DOD and the VA.
Veterans' True Choice Act of 2025This bill allows covered veterans to receive coverage under TRICARE Select, a health care program of the Department of Defense (DOD). Veterans covered by this bill include those with service-connected disabilities, former prisoners of war, Purple Heart recipients, Medal of Honor recipients, those discharged from service due to disability, and those entitled to disability compensation.The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must reimburse DOD's costs of enrolling eligible veteran beneficiaries in the program.A covered veteran may not concurrently receive medical care from DOD and the VA.