I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4471 
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 
JULY 16, 2021 
Mr. MAST (for himself, Mr. GOLDEN, Mr. C. SCOTT FRANKLIN of Florida, 
Mr. MEIJER, Mr. TAYLOR, Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas, Mr. PANETTA, 
Mr. WALTZ, Mr. BAIRD, Mrs. MURPHY of Florida, Ms. SALAZAR, Mr. 
GALLAGHER, Mr. KINZINGER, Mr. BUDD, Mr. BILIRAKIS, and Mrs. MIL-
LER-MEEKS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
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-
tives 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 2021’’. 
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SEC. 2. USE OF FACILITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VET-
ERANS AFFAIRS BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Upon request of a Member of 
Congress and subject to regulations prescribed under sub-
section (b), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall permit 
the Member to use a facility of the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs for the purposes of meeting with constitu-
ents 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 Mem-
bers of Congress. Regulations prescribed under this sub-
section— 
(1) shall require that a space within a facility 
of the Department provided to a Member under sub-
section (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 Ex-
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pense Account, as the case may be) that is 
similar to the rate charged by the Adminis-
trator of General Services for office space in the 
area of the facility; 
(2) may not prohibit a Member from adver-
tising the use by the Member of a space within a fa-
cility of the Department under subsection (a); 
(3) shall comply with sections 7321 through 
7326 of title 5, United States Code (commonly re-
ferred to as the ‘‘Hatch Act’’) and section 
1.218(a)(14) of title 38, Code of Federal Regula-
tions (or successor regulation), by prohibiting activi-
ties including— 
(A) campaigning in support of or opposi-
tion to any political office; 
(B) statements or actions that solicit, sup-
port, or oppose any change to Federal law or 
policy; 
(C) any activity that interferes with secu-
rity 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 De-
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partment without the consent of such indi-
vidual; and 
(F) photography or recording for the pur-
pose of political campaign materials; 
(4) may not permit a Member of Congress to 
use such a facility during the 60-day period pre-
ceding an election for Federal office in the jurisdic-
tion in which such facility is located; and 
(5) may not unreasonably restrict use of a facil-
ity of the Department by a Member under sub-
section (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 op-
erations of the Department in such facility. 
Æ 
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