119-hr3400

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3400 Referred in Senate

    (RFS) ]

<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 3400

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 September 16, 2025

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 AN ACT

 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 ``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.--

    (1) The Secretary may assign a physician 
appointed under 

section 7401 or 

section 7431 of this title to serve as 
a traveling physician for a period of not more than one year at a time. 
A physician assigned to serve as a traveling physician under this 
section may be assigned to 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, or any other territory or possession of the United States at 
Department facilities or other approved facilities located in such 
territory or possession.
 ``

    (2) The Secretary may assign multiple physicians to serve as 
traveling physicians under this section and may assign each such 
physician to serve in a specific territory or possession.
 ``

    (b) Coordination of Care.--In providing care under this section, 
traveling physicians shall coordinate with non-Department medical 
providers to the extent practicable and 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. Such relocation or retention 
bonus shall be substantially similar to a relocation or retention bonus 
offered under 

section 7410

    (a) of this title, 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.''.
            (c) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--Title 38, United States 
Code, is further amended as follows:

    (1) In 

section 7410

    (a)

    (1) , by--
        (A) by striking ``retention allowances'' and 
 inserting ``retention bonuses''; and
        (B) by striking the second comma after ``

section 7401

    (1) of this title''; and

    (2) In 

section 7431

    (e)

    (5)
        (B) , by striking ``retention 
 allowances'' and inserting ``retention bonuses''.

SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF CERTAIN LIMITS ON PAYMENTS OF PENSION.

 

Section 5503
            (d) (7) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``November 30, 2031'' and inserting ``December 31, 2032''.

 Passed the House of Representatives September 15, 2025.

 Attest:

 KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,

 Clerk.