U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Armed Forces Committee, today announced that she has cosponsored bipartisan legislation that would ensure that veterans injured in the line of duty are afforded all of the enlistment and re-enlistment bonuses promised to them by the Department of Defense. The “Restoring Guaranteed Bonuses for Wounded Veterans Act” was originally introduced by Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and is cosponsored by a bipartisan group of ten additional senators.
The proposed legislation would close a loophole in federal law by requiring that the Department of Defense continue the payment of bonuses to service members who retire or are otherwise separated from the armed services due to combat-related injuries. The Defense Department often offers bonuses to encourage enlistment or reenlistment, up to $40,000 and $90,000 respectively. Typically, up to half of the bonus is paid upon a soldier’s commitment to serve, with the remainder transferred in periodic payments over the next several years. Current law does not compel the Department to complete payments to soldiers unable to continue their duties due to combat injuries.
“This is important legislation for our brave and dedicated men and women in uniform,” noted Senator Collins. “It is critically important that our soldiers are fully afforded all the benefits they were guaranteed upon joining the military.”
The nonpayment issue was raised by the Dole-Shalala Commission, an independent working group formed by the President to investigate the quality of health care for soldiers returning from combat overseas. While the Department responded to the commission’s concerns by changing its policies, it is currently not under any requirement to make full payment of bonuses to injured veterans.
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