,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dcjd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #ae     
7legislative day1 ,april #ad71 #bjbf,mr4
 ,sheehy 7for himself and ,ms4 ,hirono7 
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a   
,,bill  ,to amend title #ch1 ,united    
,states ,code1 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 ,states1 and for other purposes4
  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be    
cited as the ,territorial ,response and 
,access to ,veterans' ,essential        
,lifecare ,act or the ,,travel ,act of  
#bjbf4  #b4 ,department of ,veterans    
assignment of traveling physicians to   
serve territories and possessions  7a7  
,in general ,subchapter ,i of chapter   
#gd of title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1

 is amended by adding at the end the    
following new section3  #gdae4          
,traveling physicians  7a7 ,assignment  
7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary may    
assign a physician appointed under      
section #gdja of this title to serve as 
a traveling physician for a period of   
not more than one year at a time4  7#b7 
,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 ,samoa1 ,guam1 the            
,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana 
,islands1 the ,commonwealth of ,puerto  
,rico1 the ,virgin ,islands of the      
,united ,states1 or any other territory 
or possession of the ,united ,states at 
facilities of the ,department or other  
approved facilities located in such     
territory or possession4  7#c7 ,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        
possession4  7b7 ,coordination of care  
,in providing care under this section1  
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 7as those     
terms are defined in section #agja of   
this title74  7c7 ,pay  7#a7 ,in general
 ,in addition to pay under section #gdca
 of this title1 the ,secretary shall    
provide a relocation or retention bonus 
to traveling physicians under this      
section4  7#b7 ,nature of bonus ,the    
relocation or retention bonus provided  
under paragraph 7#a7 shall be           
substantially similar to a relocation or
 retention bonus offered under section  
#gdaj7;a7 of this title1 as the         
,secretary considers appropriate4  4    
7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the table of   
sections at the beginning of such       
chapter is amended by inserting after   

the item relating to section #gdad the  
following new item3  #gdae4 ,traveling  
physicians4  4  7c7 ,technical and      
conforming amendments ,title #ch1       
,united ,states ,code1 is further       
amended as follows3 7#a7 ,in section    
#gdaj7;a77#a71 by-- 7,a7 striking       
retention allowances and inserting      
retention bonuses2 and  7,b7 striking   
the second comma after section #gdja7a7 
of this title4  7#b7 ,in section        
#gdca7;e77#e77;,b71 by striking         
retention allowances and inserting      
retention bonuses4