,i  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #efb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,january #bf1        
#bjbc,mr4 ,mast 7for himself1 ,mr4      
,panetta1 ,ms4 ,salazar1 ,mr4 ,tony     
,gonzales of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,baird1 ,mrs4 
,kim of ,california1 ,mrs4              
,cherfilus-,mc,cormick1 ,mr4 ,c4 ,scott 
,franklin of ,florida1 ,mrs4            
,miller-,meeks1 ,mr4 ,dunn of ,florida1 
,ms4 ,van ,duyne1 ,mr4 ,davidson1 ,mr4  
,finstad1 ,mr4 ,flood1 ,mr4 ,higgins of 
,louisiana1 ,mr4 ,crenshaw1 ,mr4        
,gallagher1 ,mr4 ,johnson of ,louisiana1
 and ,mr4 ,joyce of ,ohio7 introduced   
the following bill2 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            
constituents1 and for other purposes4   
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,improving ,veterans ,access to 

,congressional ,services ,act of #bjbc4 
#b4 ,use of facilities of the           
,department of ,veterans ,affairs by    
,members of ,congress  7a7 ,in general  
,upon request of a ,member of ,congress 
and subject to regulations prescribed   
under subsection 7b71 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 ,member4 ,the       
,secretary and the ,administrator of    
,general ,services shall jointly        
identify available spaces in facilities 
of the ,department for such purposes4   
7b7 ,regulations ,not later than #ij    
days after the date of enactment of this
 ,act1 the ,secretary of ,veterans      
,affairs shall prescribe regulations    
regarding such use of a facility of the 
,department of ,veterans ,affairs by    
,members of ,congress4 ,regulations     
prescribed under this subsection-- 7#a7 
shall require that a space within a     

facility of the ,department provided to 
a ,member under subsection 7a7 is-- 7,a7
 available during normal business hours2
  7,b7 located in an area that is       
visible and accessible to constituents  
of the ,member2 and  7,c7 subject to a  
rate of rent 7payable from the ,member's
 ,representational ,allowance or the    
,senator's ,official ,personnel and     
,office ,expense ,account1 as the case  
may be7 that is similar to the rate     
charged by the ,administrator of        
,general ,services for office space in  
the area of the facility2  7#b7 may not 
prohibit a ,member from advertising the 
use by the ,member of a space within a  
facility of the ,department under       
subsection 7a72  7#c7 shall comply with 
sections #gcba through #gcbf of title   
#e1 ,united ,states ,code 7commonly     
referred to as the ,hatch ,act7 and     
section #a4bah7;a77#ad7 of title #ch1   
,code of ,federal ,regulations 7or      
successor regulation71 by prohibiting   
activities including-- 7,a7 campaigning 

in support of or opposition to any      
political office2  7,b7 statements or   
actions that solicit1 support1 or oppose
 any change to ,federal law or policy2  
7,c7 any activity that interferes with  
security or normal operation of the     
facility2  7,d7 photographing or        
recording a veteran patient at such     
facility2  7,e7 photographing or        
recording a patient1 visitor to the     
facility1 or employee of the ,department
 without the consent of such individual2
 and  7,f7 photography or recording for 
the purpose of political campaign       
materials2  7#d7 may not permit a       
,member of ,congress to use such a      
facility during the #fj-;day period     
preceding an election for ,federal      
office in the jurisdiction in which such
 facility is located2 and  7#e7 may not 
unreasonably restrict use of a facility 
of the ,department by a ,member under   
subsection 7a7 if-- 7,a7 there is space 
in such facility not in regular use by  
personnel of the ,department2 and  7,b7 

use of such space shall not impede      
operations of the ,department in such   
facility4