[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3205 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 3205

   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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 19, 2025

  Mr. Sheehy introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             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) Use of Facilities.--
            (1) 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.
            (2) Identification of facilities.--The Secretary and the 
        Administrator of General Services shall jointly identify 
        available spaces in facilities of the Department for purposes 
        of paragraph (1).
    (b) Regulations.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
        shall prescribe regulations regarding use of a facility of the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs by Members of Congress under 
        subsection (a).
            (2) Requirements.--Regulations prescribed pursuant to 
        paragraph (1)--
                    (A) shall require that a space within a facility of 
                the Department provided to a Member under subsection 
                (a) is--
                            (i) available during normal business hours;
                            (ii) located in an area that is visible and 
                        accessible to constituents of the Member; and
                            (iii) 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;
                    (B) may not prohibit a Member from advertising the 
                use by the Member of a space within a facility of the 
                Department under subsection (a);
                    (C) 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--
                            (i) campaigning in support of or opposition 
                        to any political office;
                            (ii) statements or actions that solicit, 
                        support, or oppose any change to Federal law or 
                        policy;
                            (iii) any activity that interferes with 
                        security or normal operation of the facility;
                            (iv) photographing or recording a veteran 
                        patient at such facility;
                            (v) photographing or recording a patient, 
                        visitor to the facility, or employee of the 
                        Department without the consent of such 
                        individual; and
                            (vi) photography or recording for the 
                        purpose of political campaign materials;
                    (D) 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
                    (E) may not unreasonably restrict use of a facility 
                of the Department by a Member under subsection (a) if--
                            (i) there is space in such facility not in 
                        regular use by personnel of the Department; and
                            (ii) use of such space shall not impede 
                        operations of the Department in such facility.
                                 <all>