Fisher House Availability Act of 2026
Officially: “Fisher House Availability Act of 2026” Read the full text
What it does
Read it in plain language
1Short title
This section would state that the Act may be cited as the "Fisher House Availability Act of 2025."
Show official text
1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Fisher House Availability Act of 2025 .
2Availability of Department of Veterans Affairs temporary lodging to certain TRICARE beneficiaries
This section would amend section 1708 of title 38, United States Code, which governs the Department of Veterans Affairs' authority to furnish temporary lodging, including Fisher Houses, to veterans and other beneficiaries. It would update subsection (a), the general authority to furnish this lodging, so that its scope is defined by the rest of section 1708 as amended, instead of by its current wording. It would add two new categories of people who may receive temporary lodging on a space-available basis under subsection (b): a covered beneficiary who must travel a significant distance to receive care or services at a facility that is not a Department of Veterans Affairs facility, and a member of the family of such a covered beneficiary, along with other people who accompany the beneficiary and provide the equivalent of family support for that beneficiary. It would eliminate the current subsection (c) of section 1708 and renumber the subsections that follow it, so that the current subsection (d) becomes subsection (c) and the current subsection (e) becomes subsection (d). Within the renumbered subsection (d), it would update a cross-reference so it points to the new subsection (c), broaden another cross-reference so it applies to any covered beneficiary described in subsection (b) instead of only a beneficiary described in subsection (b)(2), and make conforming changes to the numbering and punctuation of that subsection's list of items so a new item can be added. That new item would require that criteria be established for providing access to temporary lodging on a space-available basis under the two new categories added to subsection (b). Finally, it would add a new subsection (e) to section 1708 defining "covered beneficiary" to have the meaning given that term in section 1072(5) of title 10, United States Code, and defining "Fisher house" as a housing facility that is located at, or in proximity to, a Department medical facility, is available on a temporary basis for residential use by patients of that facility and others described in subsection (b), and was constructed by and donated to the Secretary by the Zachary and Elizabeth M. Fisher Armed Services Foundation or the Fisher House Foundation, Inc.
Show official text
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. .
Where it is
In the House.