TRAVEL Act of 2026

This legislation empowers the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to deploy Department physicians as traveling physicians to serve in U.S. territories and possessions. These assignments, lasting up to one year, aim to enhance healthcare access for veterans residing in areas like American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The bill specifies that these physicians can provide care at Department facilities or other approved locations within these territories.

It also mandates that traveling physicians coordinate care with non-Department medical providers to ensure comprehensive and high-quality services for veterans. To attract and retain these essential personnel, the Secretary is required to provide a relocation or retention bonus in addition to their regular pay, mirroring existing bonus structures for VA medical staff.