Fisher House Foundation urges law change to allow DOD families on a space‑available basis; VA seeks technical edits
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Summary
Fisher House Foundation and its president told a House VA subcommittee that recent VA guidance restricting Fisher House stays to veterans receiving VA‑directed care forces eligible military families to be turned away; VA said it supports the bill with technical amendments to align eligibility and practice.
The president of the Fisher House Foundation told the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health that recent VA guidance has narrowed who may stay in VA Fisher Houses, leading to available rooms sitting empty while some military and DOD families are turned away.
“Last year, the occupancy rate at the VA Fisher houses across the country was 53%,” David Coker, president of Fisher House Foundation, told the committee. He said Fisher House stays have provided more than 12 million lodging nights and saved families more than $650 million in out‑of‑pocket costs. Coker said the Fisher House Veil Act of 2025 would restore managers’ flexibility to accept eligible Department of Defense beneficiaries on a space‑available basis without reducing priority access for veterans.
Dr. Antoinette Chappelle said VA “supports this” provided technical amendments clarify eligibility and ensure the bill’s language aligns with existing practice and law. Chappelle explained that current law and agency interpretation limit stays to beneficiaries receiving VA‑directed care and that the department wants statutory language that avoids unintended interference with existing Fisher House priorities.
Fisher House witnesses described specific low‑occupancy examples, including rates of 22% for the Washington, D.C., house and 63% for the Houston houses, arguing those homes could accommodate families receiving care at nearby non‑VA hospitals when rooms are available. Coker said the proposal is consistent with a memorandum of understanding between the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments titled “strengthening our partnership and service to those who we serve.”
No formal action was taken at the hearing. Members asked VA and Fisher House representatives to work together on technical edits to ensure the bill preserves veterans’ priority access while enabling use of excess capacity to support eligible DOD families and service members.