Fisher House Availability Act of 2026

Summary

Expands and clarifies who may use temporary lodging owned or operated near VA medical facilities (commonly called Fisher Houses). It adds two space-available beneficiary categories: covered beneficiaries who must travel a significant distance to get care at non-VA facilities, and family members or other companions who provide family-like support to those beneficiaries. The VA must establish criteria for space-available access and the bill defines key terms used in the law.

• Expands eligibility for VA-provided temporary lodging (Fisher Houses) to some veterans who travel long distances for non-VA care.
• Allows family members and other companions who provide familial-equivalent support to accompany those veterans on a space-available basis.
• Requires the VA Secretary to create criteria for space-available access under the new categories.
• Defines “covered beneficiary” by cross-reference to 10 U.S.C. §1072(5) and defines “Fisher house.”
• Revises and reorders existing statutory subsections and updates internal cross-references.
• Does not appropriate new funds or include an effective date—implementation uses existing VA authority and resources.
• Likely increases demand for Fisher House space and creates an administrative task for VA to set and apply access criteria.