S. 3119: Fisher House Availability Act of 2025

The Fisher House Availability Act of 2025 proposes changes to how temporary lodging facilities operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are made available to certain individuals. The main points of the bill include:

Expansion of Eligibility for Temporary Lodging

The bill aims to allow more individuals to access the temporary lodging facilities known as Fisher Houses. Currently, these facilities are primarily used by veterans and their families. The proposed changes include:

• Enabling members of the Armed Forces and individuals on active duty to use these facilities.
• Allowing family members of veterans and eligible active duty individuals to stay at these facilities to provide support during medical care.
• Expanding access to those who need to travel a significant distance to receive care or services from either VA or non-VA facilities.

Space-Available Basis

The bill specifies that lodging will be provided on a "space-available basis." This means that while accommodations will be open to the specified individuals, they will only be able to stay if there is space available in the facilities. This applies to:

• Eligible individuals that must travel far for medical services.
• Family members of these eligible individuals who accompany them and offer support.

Definitions and Criteria

The bill includes definitions and establishes criteria for providing access to the temporary lodging facilities. Key definitions include:

• An "eligible individual" is defined as any member of the Armed Forces, regardless of whether they are active duty or under another designation.
• A "Fisher house" is characterized as a housing facility that is located near a VA medical facility and is available temporarily to patients and their families.

This legislation would revise existing laws to broaden the support network for military service members and their families as they seek medical treatment and services.

Administrative Adjustments

The bill also proposes administrative updates to streamline the process for providing access to these facilities, ensuring a more efficient management of the available housing.

Conclusion of Legislative Process

As this bill progresses through Congress, it will undergo discussions and potential modifications before any final passage into law.

Relevant Companies

None found.