TRAVEL Act of 2026

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