S. 4304

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4304 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4304

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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

April 15 (legislative day, April 14), 2026

Mr. Sheehy (for himself and Ms. Hirono) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and 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 ``Territorial Response and Access to 
Veterans' Essential Lifecare Act'' or the ``TRAVEL Act of 2026''.

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) Assignment.--
``(1) 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 at a 
time.
``(2) Locations.--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 facilities of the Department or other approved 
facilities located in such territory or possession.
``(3) Multiple physicians.--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 (as those terms are defined in section 1701 of this 
title).
``(c) Pay.--
``(1) In general.--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.
``(2) Nature of bonus.--The relocation or retention bonus 
provided under paragraph (1) 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) striking ``retention allowances'' and inserting 
``retention bonuses''; and
(B) striking the second comma after ``section 
7401(1) of this title''.
(2) In section 7431(e)(5)(B), by striking ``retention 
allowances'' and inserting ``retention bonuses''.
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