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:
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:
(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
.