119-hr2642

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2642 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 2642

 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to permit Members of 
 Congress to use facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs for 
 the purposes of meeting with constituents, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 April 3, 2025

 Mr. Mast (for himself, Mr. Baird, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, Ms. 
 Salazar, Mr. Finstad, Mrs. Miller-Meeks, Mr. Flood, and Mr. Panetta) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
 Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to permit Members of 
 Congress to use facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs for 
 the purposes of meeting with constituents, 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 ``Improving Veterans Access to 
Congressional Services Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. USE OF FACILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS BY 
 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.

    (a) In General.--Upon request of a Member of Congress and subject 
to regulations prescribed under subsection

    (b) , the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall permit the Member to use a facility of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs for the purposes of meeting with 
constituents of the Member. The Secretary and the Administrator of 
General Services shall jointly identify available spaces in facilities 
of the Department for such purposes.

    (b) Regulations.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
prescribe regulations regarding such use of a facility of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs by Members of Congress. Regulations 
prescribed under this subsection--

    (1) shall require that a space within a facility of the 
 Department provided to a Member under subsection

    (a) is--
        (A) available during normal business hours;
        (B) located in an area that is visible and 
 accessible to constituents of the Member; and
            (C) subject to a rate of rent (payable from the 
 Member's Representational Allowance or the Senator's 
 Official Personnel and Office Expense Account, as the 
 case may be) that is similar to the rate charged by the 
 Administrator of General Services for office space in 
 the area of the facility;

    (2) may not prohibit a Member from advertising the use by 
 the Member of a space within a facility of the Department under 
 subsection

    (a) ;

    (3) shall comply with sections 7321 through 7326 of title 
 5, United States Code (commonly referred to as the ``Hatch 
 Act'') and 

section 1.218

    (a)

    (14) of title 38, Code of Federal 
 Regulations (or successor regulation), by prohibiting 
 activities including--
        (A) campaigning in support of or opposition to any 
 political office;
        (B) statements or actions that solicit, support, or 
 oppose any change to Federal law or policy;
            (C) any activity that interferes with security or 
 normal operation of the facility;
            (D) photographing or recording a veteran patient at 
 such facility;
        (E) photographing or recording a patient, visitor 
 to the facility, or employee of the Department without 
 the consent of such individual; and
        (F) photography or recording for the purpose of 
 political campaign materials;

    (4) may not permit a Member of Congress to use such a 
 facility during the 60-day period preceding an election for 
 Federal office in the jurisdiction in which such facility is 
 located; and

    (5) may not unreasonably restrict use of a facility of the 
 Department by a Member under subsection

    (a) if--
        (A) there is space in such facility not in regular 
 use by personnel of the Department; and
        (B) use of such space shall not impede operations 
 of the Department in such facility.
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