S. 4304 – TRAVEL Act of 2026

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 30, 2026 at 4:51 AM UTC

The bill lets the Secretary of Veterans Affairs temporarily send VA physicians to U.S. territories and possessions to treat veterans there. Assignments can last up to one year and may include multiple doctors, each assigned to a specific location. The physicians receive a relocation or retention bonus, and they must work with local non‑VA providers to ensure coordinated care.

Key Provisions

The Secretary may assign a VA physician to serve as a traveling physician for up to one year at a time.
Traveling physicians can be placed in American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or any other U.S. territory or possession, at VA or approved facilities.
Multiple physicians may be assigned, each to a specific territory or possession.
Traveling physicians must coordinate care with non‑VA medical providers as needed to maintain quality and continuity.
Physicians receive a relocation or retention bonus comparable to existing VA bonuses, in addition to their regular pay.
The bill updates the table of sections to add the new “Traveling physicians” section and changes language from “retention allowances” to “retention bonuses” in related statutes.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

April 15, 2026

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

April 15, 2026

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

April 15, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued April 15, 2026

II

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 4304

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.

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.

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)

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.