[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3726 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3726

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to make temporary lodging facilities of the Department 
 of Veterans Affairs available for certain TRICARE beneficiaries on a 
             space-available basis, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 4, 2025

    Mrs. Miller-Meeks (for herself and Mrs. Dingell) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to make temporary lodging facilities of the Department 
 of Veterans Affairs available for certain TRICARE beneficiaries on a 
             space-available basis, 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 ``Fisher House Availability Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. AVAILABILITY OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TEMPORARY 
              LODGING TO CERTAIN TRICARE BENEFICIARIES.

    Section 1708 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``in connection with'' 
        and all that follows through the period at the end and 
        inserting ``in accordance with this section'';
            (2) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following 
        new paragraphs:
            ``(3) On a space-available basis, a covered beneficiary who 
        must travel a significant distance to receive care or services 
        at a non-Department facility.
            ``(4) On a space-available basis, a member of the family of 
        a covered beneficiary and others who accompany such a covered 
        beneficiary and provide the equivalent of familial support for 
        such beneficiary.'';
            (3) by striking subsection (c) and redesignating 
        subsections (d) and (e) as subsections (c) and (d), 
        respectively;
            (4) in subsection (d), as so redesignated--
                    (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``subsection 
                (d)'' and inserting ``subsection (c)'';
                    (B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``under 
                subsection (b)(2)'' and inserting ``or a covered 
                beneficiary under subsection (b)'';
                    (C) in paragraph (4), by striking ``and'' after the 
                semicolon;
                    (D) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph 
                (6); and
                    (E) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following 
                new paragraph (5):
            ``(5) establishing criteria for providing access to 
        temporary lodging facilities on a space-available basis under 
        subsection (b)(3) and (4); and''; and
            (5) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(e) In this section:
            ``(1) The term `covered beneficiary' has the meaning given 
        such term in section 1072(5) of title 10.
            ``(2) The term `Fisher house' means a housing facility 
        that--
                    ``(A) is located at, or in proximity to, a 
                Department medical facility;
                    ``(B) is available for residential use on a 
                temporary basis by patients of that facility and others 
                described in subsection (b); and
                    ``(C) is constructed by, and donated to the 
                Secretary by, the Zachary and Elizabeth M. Fisher Armed 
                Services Foundation or the Fisher House Foundation, 
                Inc.''.
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