A Republican bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "TRAVEL Act of 2026," seeks to amend title 38 of the United States Code. It aims to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to assign physicians to serve as traveling physicians. These physicians would serve temporarily in the territories and possessions of the United States. The assignment can last for a period of up to one year at a time. Physicians may be sent to various locations including American Samoa, Guam, and Puerto Rico to provide healthcare to veterans.
Yes· 3 of 4
- Scored +8
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
The bill increases healthcare accessibility and quality of care for veterans living in U.S. territories through traveling physician assignments.
- Scored +7
Does this make health care easier to get in general?
The bill authorizes the assignment of traveling physicians to provide healthcare to veterans residing in U.S. territories and possessions.
- Scored +7
Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive?
The bill enhances veteran benefits by deploying physicians to territories to ensure access to medical care.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Healthcare Access for Veterans in Territories: The bill allows the Secretary to assign physicians to provide 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 other territories or possessions (Section 2(a)(1) and (2)).
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Improved Quality of Care: Traveling physicians are required to coordinate with non-Department medical providers to ensure high quality and coordinated care for veterans (Section 2(a)(b)).
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Financial Incentives for Physicians: The Secretary shall provide a relocation or retention bonus to these traveling physicians in addition to their standard pay (Section 2(a)(c)(1)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Temporary Nature of Service: The assignment of a traveling physician is limited to a period of not more than one year at a time (Section 2(a)(1)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill increases healthcare accessibility and quality of care for veterans living in U.S. territories through traveling physician assignments. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — The bill improves healthcare access for veterans in Puerto Rico, which has a large Hispanic population.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill authorizes the assignment of traveling physicians to provide healthcare to veterans residing in U.S. territories and possessions.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — The bill enhances veteran benefits by deploying physicians to territories to ensure access to medical care.
- 4/15/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Mazie HironoDemocrat · Hawaii