What This Bill Does
This bill tells the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to let Members of Congress use Department of Veterans Affairs buildings to meet with veterans who live in their districts or states. The bill also requires the Secretary to create rules about how Members can use these spaces.
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Who It Affects
- Members of Congress
- Secretary of Veterans Affairs
- Veterans who are constituents of Members of Congress
- Administrator of General Services
- Employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs
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Key Provisions
- Upon request, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs must permit a Member of Congress to use a Department facility (except National Cemetery Administration buildings) to meet with veteran constituents (Sec. 2(a))
- The Secretary and Administrator of General Services must work together to identify available spaces in Department facilities for this purpose (Sec. 2(a))
- The Secretary must create regulations within 90 days that require meeting spaces to be available during normal business hours and located in areas visible and accessible to veterans (Sec. 2(b)(1)(A) and (B))
- Members of Congress cannot use these spaces during the 60 days before a Federal election in that area (Sec. 2(b)(4))
- Regulations must prohibit campaign activities, political statements, photographing veterans without consent and other activities that interfere with facility security or operations (Sec. 2(b)(3))
- Members must pay rent from their official allowance at rates similar to what the Administrator of General Services charges for office space in that area (Sec. 2(b)(1)(C))
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What Changes
If this bill becomes law, Members of Congress will be allowed to request space inside Veterans Affairs facilities to meet with their veteran constituents. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs will have to permit these meetings and write new rules within 90 days about how the spaces can be used, what times they are available and what activities are prohibited.
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Important Definitions
- **Constituent**: A veteran who lives in a Member of Congress's district or state
- **Hatch Act**: Federal law (sections 7321 through 7326 of title 5, United States Code) that restricts certain political activities by federal employees
- **Representational Allowance**: The official budget a Member of Congress uses for office expenses
- **National Cemetery Administration**: A part of the Veterans Affairs Department that this bill specifically excludes from the requirement
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Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
IB
Union Calendar No. 794
118TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 562
[Report No. 118–945]
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
JANUARY 26, 2023
Mr. MAST (for himself, Mr. PANETTA, Ms. SALAZAR, Mr. TONY GONZALES
of Texas, Mr. BAIRD, Mrs. KIM of California, Mrs. CHERFILUS-MCCOR-
MICK, Mr. SCOTT FRANKLIN of Florida, Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS, Mr. DUNN
of Florida, Ms. VAN DUYNE, Mr. DAVIDSON, Mr. FINSTAD, Mr. FLOOD,
Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana, Mr. CRENSHAW, Mr. GALLAGHER, Mr. JOHN-
SON of Louisiana, and Mr. JOYCE of Ohio) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
DECEMBER 24, 2024
Additional sponsors: Mr. KEAN of New Jersey, Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina,
Mr. HUDSON, Ms. SHERRILL, Mr. NUNN of Iowa, Mr. FALLON, Mr.
SELF, Mr. OBERNOLTE, Mr. VAN ORDEN, Mr. MURPHY, Mr. LALOTA,
Mr. GOLDEN of Maine, Mr. CROW, Ms. SLOTKIN, Mr. NEGUSE, and Ms.
CARAVEO
DECEMBER 24, 2024
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on January 26, 2023]
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•HR 562 RH
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.
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•HR 562 RH
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 Ac-
4
cess to Congressional Services Act of 2023’’.
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SEC. 2. USE OF FACILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VET-
6
ERANS AFFAIRS BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—Upon request of a Member of Con-
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gress and subject to regulations prescribed under subsection
9
(b), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall permit the Mem-
10
ber to use a facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs
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(other than a facility of the National Cemetery Administra-
12
tion) for the purposes of meeting with veterans who are con-
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stituents of the Member. The Secretary and the Adminis-
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trator of General Services shall jointly identify available
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spaces in facilities of the Department for such purposes.
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(b) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 90 days after the
17
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Af-
18
fairs shall prescribe regulations regarding such use of a fa-
19
cility of the Department of Veterans Affairs by Members
20
of Congress. Regulations prescribed under this subsection—
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(1) shall require that a space within a facility
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of the Department provided to a Member under sub-
23
section (a) is—
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(A) available during normal business hours;
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•HR 562 RH
(B) located in an area that is visible and
1
accessible to veterans who are constituents of the
2
Member; and
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(C) subject to a rate of rent (payable from
4
the Member’s Representational Allowance or the
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Senator’s Official Personnel and Office Expense
6
Account, as the case may be) that is similar to
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the rate charged by the Administrator of General
8
Services for office space in the area of the facil-
9
ity;
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(2) may not prohibit a Member from advertising
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the use by the Member of a space within a facility of
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the Department under subsection (a);
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(3) shall comply with sections 7321 through 7326
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of title 5, United States Code (commonly referred to
15
as the ‘‘Hatch Act’’) and section 1.218(a)(14) of title
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38, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regula-
17
tion), by prohibiting activities including—
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(A) campaigning in support of or opposi-
19
tion to any political office;
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(B) statements or actions that solicit, sup-
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port, or oppose any change to Federal law or
22
policy;
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(C) any activity that interferes with secu-
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rity or normal operation of the facility;
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•HR 562 RH
(D) photographing or recording a veteran
1
patient at such facility;
2
(E) photographing or recording a patient,
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visitor to the facility, or employee of the Depart-
4
ment without the consent of such individual; and
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(F) photography or recording for the pur-
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pose of political campaign materials;
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(4) may not permit a Member of Congress to use
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such a facility during the 60-day period preceding an
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election for Federal office in the jurisdiction in which
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such facility is located; and
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(5) may not unreasonably restrict use of a facil-
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ity of the Department by a Member under subsection
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(a) if—
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(A) there is space in such facility not in
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regular use by personnel of the Department; and
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(B) use of such space shall not impede oper-
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ations of the Department in such facility.
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Union Calendar No. 794
118TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 562
[Report No. 118–945]
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to per-
mit Members of Congress to use facilities of the
Department of Veterans Affairs for the purposes
of meeting with constituents, and for other pur-
poses.
DECEMBER 24, 2024
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union,
and ordered to be printed
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