Scribd

[117H4471]

..................................................................... (Original Signature of Member)

118

TH

CONGRESS 1

ST

S

ESSION

H. R.

ll

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

Mr. M

AST

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on

llllllllllllll

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to permit Mem- bers 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 Representa-

1

tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

2

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

3

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improving Veterans

4

Access to Congressional Services Act of 2023’’.

5

VerDate Nov 24 2008 17:02 Dec 13, 2022Jkt 000000PO 00000Frm 00001Fmt 6652Sfmt 6201C:\USERS\LMANDERSON\APPDATA\ROAMING\SOFTQUAD\XMETAL\11.0\GEN\C\117H4

December 13, 2022 (5:02 p.m.)

G:\M\118TH_PRE\117H4471.XML

g:\VHLD\121322\D121322.093.xml (859190|1)

2

SEC. 2. USE OF FACILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VET-

1

ERANS AFFAIRS BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.

2

(a) I

N

G

ENERAL

.—Upon request of a Member of

3

Congress and subject to regulations prescribed under sub-

4

section (b), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall permit

5

the Member to use a facility of the Department of Vet-

6

erans Affairs for the purposes of meeting with constitu-

7

ents of the Member. The Secretary and the Administrator

8

of General Services shall jointly identify available spaces

9

in facilities of the Department for such purposes.

10

(b) R

EGULATIONS

.—Not later than 90 days after the

11

date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans

12

Affairs shall prescribe regulations regarding such use of

13

a facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs by Mem-

14

bers of Congress. Regulations prescribed under this sub-

15

section—

16

(1) shall require that a space within a facility

17

of the Department provided to a Member under sub-

18

section (a) is—

19

(A) available during normal business

20

hours;

21

(B) located in an area that is visible and

22

accessible to constituents of the Member; and

23

(C) subject to a rate of rent (payable from

24

the Member’s Representational Allowance or

25

the Senator’s Official Personnel and Office Ex-

26


December 13, 2022 (5:02 p.m.)


g:\VHLD\121322\D121322.093.xml (859190|1)

3 pense Account, as the case may be) that is

1

similar to the rate charged by the Adminis-

2

trator of General Services for office space in the

3

area of the facility;

4

(2) may not prohibit a Member from adver-

5

tising the use by the Member of a space within a fa-

6

cility of the Department under subsection (a);

7

(3) shall comply with sections 7321 through

8

7326 of title 5, United States Code (commonly re-

9

ferred to as the ‘‘Hatch Act’’) and section

10

1.218(a)(14) of title 38, Code of Federal Regula-

11

tions (or successor regulation), by prohibiting activi-

12

ties including—

13

(A) campaigning in support of or opposi-

14

tion to any political office;

15

(B) statements or actions that solicit, sup-

16

port, or oppose any change to Federal law or

17

policy;

18

(C) any activity that interferes with secu-

19

rity or normal operation of the facility;

20

(D) photographing or recording a veteran

21

patient at such facility;

22

(E) photographing or recording a patient,

23

visitor to the facility, or employee of the De-

24


December 13, 2022 (5:02 p.m.)


g:\VHLD\121322\D121322.093.xml (859190|1)