Bills That Could Change Veteran Benefits.
Plain-English summaries of pending federal legislation affecting VA disability, retired pay offsets, DIC, and concurrent receipt. Updated as bills move through Congress.
★ General Education Only
This page tracks proposed and recently enacted federal legislation that affects veterans' benefits. Bills change as they move through committee — always confirm current status on Congress.gov. Oakridge Claims does not endorse, lobby for, or predict the passage of any bill.
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Major Richard Star Act
End the dollar-for-dollar offset between DoD retired pay and VA disability for combat-injured medical retirees.
Affects: ≈ 54,000 combat-injured medical retirees with < 20 years of service
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Love Lives On Act
Let surviving spouses keep DIC and other survivor benefits if they remarry.
Affects: Surviving spouses of service-connected veterans who remarry
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Caring for Survivors Act
Raise DIC to 55% of a 100%-disabled veteran's compensation — parity with other federal survivor programs.
Affects: All DIC recipients (≈ 440,000 surviving spouses)
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Justice for ALS Veterans Act
Automatic Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) for veterans with service-connected ALS.
Affects: Veterans with service-connected ALS rated totally disabling
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Veterans' COLA Act
Annual statutory authorization aligning VA compensation increases with Social Security COLA.
Affects: All compensation, DIC, and clothing-allowance recipients
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Long COVID Veterans Validation Act
Direct VA to study and report on Long COVID prevalence, treatment, and disability impact in the veteran population.
Affects: Veterans with persistent post-COVID conditions
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Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act
Expand VA home and community-based care; raise the cap on non-institutional care expenditures.
Affects: Veterans needing home and community-based care; family caregivers
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Camp Lejeune Justice Act — Appeals Fix
Restore the right to a jury trial and fix procedural gaps in the Camp Lejeune Justice Act.
Affects: Camp Lejeune Justice Act claimants (1953–1987 exposure)
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PACT Act Implementation Oversight
Strengthen reporting on PACT Act claim grant rates, exam quality, and Toxic Exposure Fund spending.
Affects: All PACT Act presumptive claimants (post-9/11 and Vietnam-era)
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GI Bill Restoration Act
Extend GI Bill education and home loan benefits to descendants of WWII Black veterans denied access in the 1940s.
Affects: Direct descendants of Black WWII veterans excluded from original GI Bill benefits
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Veterans Benefits Continuity & Accountability Act
Emergency funding to backfill the 2024 VBA shortfall and protect on-time benefit payments.
Affects: All compensation, pension, and education beneficiaries
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Autism Care for Military & Veteran Families Act
Expand TRICARE/CHAMPVA Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) coverage and continuity of autism care for veteran families.
Affects: Veterans and dependents with autism spectrum disorder
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Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act
Require a court order before VA reports a veteran with a fiduciary to the NICS background-check system.
Affects: Veterans assigned a VA fiduciary
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Sgt. Brandon Ketchum Veteran Suicide Prevention Act
Mandate same-day mental-health evaluation and inpatient bed access for veterans presenting in crisis.
Affects: Veterans presenting in mental-health crisis at VA facilities
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VETERAN Act (Telehealth)
Permanently authorize VA providers to deliver telehealth across state lines without state-license barriers.
Affects: Veterans receiving VA telehealth across state lines
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TDIU Protection Act
Block any future VA rule reducing or terminating TDIU based on a veteran reaching Social Security retirement age.
Affects: Veterans rated at the 100% rate via Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU)
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Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act
Eliminate the VA-disability offset against DoD retired pay for ALL retirees — not just combat-related.
Affects: All military retirees with VA disability ratings (broader than the Richard Star Act)
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Camp Lejeune Wrongful Death Compensation Act
Allow surviving families of Camp Lejeune-exposure veterans to recover wrongful-death damages under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act.
Affects: Surviving family of veterans who died from Camp Lejeune water exposure (1953–1987)
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Take Care of America's Veterans Act
A broad VA healthcare and workforce package that was pulled from floor consideration and is currently stalled.
Affects: Would broadly expand VA healthcare access, staffing, and community-care oversight
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Combat-Injured Retirement Pay & VA Compensation
The interaction between DoD retired pay and VA disability compensation is governed by a patchwork of statutes and programs. Here's a plain-English overview of how the current rules work — and where the Major Richard Star Act fits in.
CRDP — Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay
Eligibility: Retirees with 20+ years of service AND a VA disability rating of 50% or higher. Phased-in fully by 2014.
Effect: Restores DoD retired pay that was previously offset by VA compensation. You receive both, in full.
CRSC — Combat-Related Special Compensation
Eligibility: Retirees of any length of service whose disability is combat-related (combat operations, hazardous duty, instrumentality of war, or simulated combat training). Application required through your service branch.
Effect: Tax-free monthly payment that replaces VA-offset retired pay for the combat-related portion. Cannot be received simultaneously with CRDP — retirees must elect one each year.
Chapter 61 Medical Retirement
Eligibility: Service members medically retired with a DoD disability rating of 30%+ (or 20+ years of service).
Effect: Currently subject to VA offset for those with < 20 years — the gap the Major Richard Star Act seeks to close.
CRDP vs. CRSC is a yearly election. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) runs an Open Season each January where eligible retirees can switch between programs. Picking the wrong one can cost thousands per year — review both calculations before electing.
Where Oakridge fits
Oakridge Claims focuses on VA disability compensation claims, including Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for surviving spouses and dependents. We do not handle DoD retirement pay, CRDP, or CRSC claims — those go through DFAS or your service branch. For Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) assistance, we recommend the National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP), a nonprofit that represents veterans in CRSC matters at no cost. VA rating decisions still directly affect what you receive (and lose to offset) under retirement-pay programs, which is why bills like the Richard Star Act matter to so many of our clients.
If you're underrated by VA today, an increase claim or appeal could meaningfully change your monthly take-home under current law — independent of any pending legislation.
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Educational content only — not legal or legislative advice. Bill status and statutory citations were accurate as of each page's last verified date. Always verify current status on Congress.gov. Oakridge Claims is a private business, is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or any branch of the Armed Forces, and does not engage in lobbying.