TRAVEL Act of 2025

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3400 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3400

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of
  Veterans Affairs to assign physicians of the Department of Veterans
Affairs to temporarily serve as traveling physicians in the territories
     and possessions of the United States, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 14, 2025

Ms. King-Hinds (for herself, Mr. Moylan, and Mrs. Radewagen) introduced
 the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans'
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of
  Veterans Affairs to assign physicians of the Department of Veterans
Affairs to temporarily serve as traveling physicians in the territories
     and possessions of the United States, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``the Territorial Response and Access
to Veterans' Essential Lifecare Act'' or the ``TRAVEL Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS ASSIGNMENT OF TRAVELING PHYSICIANS TO
              SERVE TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 74 of title 38, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 7415. Traveling physicians
    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary may assign a physician appointed
under section 7401 of this title to serve as a traveling physician for
a period of not more than one year. A traveling physician shall provide
health care to veterans residing in American Samoa, Guam, the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and any other
territory or possession of the United States at Department facilities
located in such territories and possessions.
    ``(b) Coordination of Care.--In providing care under this section,
traveling physicians shall coordinate with non-Department medical
providers to the extent necessary to ensure high quality and
coordinated care for veterans receiving hospital care and medical
services.
    ``(c) Pay.--In addition to pay under section 7431 of this title,
the Secretary shall provide a relocation or retention bonus to
traveling physicians under this section. A relocation or retention
bonus under this subsection shall be substantially similar to a
relocation or retention bonus offered under sections 5753 and 5754,
respectively, of title 5, as the Secretary considers appropriate.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section
7414 the following new item:

``7415. Traveling physicians.''.
                                 <all>