Territorial Response and Access to Veterans' Essential Lifecare Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (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, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 3400

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''.

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Mr. BOST. 3400, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3400, as amended, offered by my colleague on the Veterans' Affairs Committee Representative King-Hinds.

This bill would give the VA Secretary the power to assign traveling physicians for up to 1 year at a time in the U.S. territories to deliver care.

The VA provides healthcare in five U.S. territories in the Pacific and Atlantic. In the Pacific, the VA has one medical center in Honolulu, Hawaii. There are three outpatient clinics in American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. In the Atlantic, the VA has one medical center in Puerto Rico. There are 10 outpatient clinics across Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Based on the most recent data we have, the VA Pacific system served 7,200 enrolled veterans. The VA Caribbean system serves 61,000 enrolled veterans. The veterans in these parts of the world are forced to spend time and money to get their hard-earned care. For example, a veteran in Guam must travel 4,000 miles for care in Honolulu. A veteran in the Virgin Islands has to fly to Puerto Rico to receive care at the VA Medical Center there. The TRAVEL Act would expand the reach of VA care by putting physicians where the veterans live.

I thank Representative King-Hinds, my friend, for her leadership on this bill to get veterans in remote parts of the world the healthcare they have earned. I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R.

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Mr. BOST. King-Hinds).

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Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to support this legislation.

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Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were ordered.

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