[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3119 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 3119
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 members of the Armed Forces, other
individuals on active duty, and family members of such individuals on a
space-available basis, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
November 6, 2025
Mr. Moran (for himself and Mr. Blumenthal) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and 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 members of the Armed Forces, other
individuals on active duty, and family members of such individuals 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. EXPANSION OF AVAILABILITY OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
TEMPORARY LODGING TO CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS.
Section 1708 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
``(a) The Secretary may furnish persons described in subsection (b)
with temporary lodging in a Fisher house or other appropriate facility
in accordance with this section.'';
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
``(2) A member of the family of a veteran described in
paragraph (1) and others who accompany such veteran and provide
the equivalent of familial support for such veteran.''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following new
paragraphs:
``(3) On a space-available basis--
``(A) an eligible individual who must travel a
significant distance to receive care or services at a
Department facility or non-Department facility; and
``(B) a member of the family of an eligible
individual described in subparagraph (A) and others who
accompany such eligible individual and provide the
equivalent of familial support for such eligible
individual during the receipt of care or services
described in such subparagraph.
``(4) On a space-available basis--
``(A) a member of the family of a veteran who must
travel a significant distance for such family member to
receive care or services at a Department facility or
non-Department facility; and
``(B) the veteran and others who accompany such
family member and provide the equivalent of familial
support for such family member during the receipt of
care or services described in such subparagraph.
``(5) On a space-available basis--
``(A) a member of the family of an eligible
individual who must travel a significant distance for
such family member to receive care or services at a
Department facility or non-Department facility; and
``(B) the eligible individual and others who
accompany such family member and provide the equivalent
of familial support for such family member during the
receipt of care or services described in such
subparagraph.'';
(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 ``a veteran under
subsection (b)(2)'' and inserting ``an individual 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
paragraphs (3) through (5) of subsection (b); and''; and
(5) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(e) In this section:
``(1) The term `eligible individual' means a member of the
Armed Forces, regardless of duty status, or any individual on
active duty.
``(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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