I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3551 
To ensure that Members of Congress have access to Federal facilities in 
order to exercise their constitutional oversight responsibilities. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 27, 2019 
Mr. CASTRO of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Oversight and Reform 
A BILL 
To ensure that Members of Congress have access to Federal 
facilities in order to exercise their constitutional oversight 
responsibilities. 
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 ‘‘Restoring Oversight 
for Members of Congress Act’’. 
SEC. 2. RESTORING OVERSIGHT THROUGH ACCESS TO FED-
ERAL FACILITIES FOR MEMBERS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 
(1) the term ‘‘committee of jurisdiction’’, with 
respect to a Federal facility, means the committee of 
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the Senate or the House of Representatives with ju-
risdiction of the activities carried out at the Federal 
facility; 
(2) the term ‘‘Federal facility’’— 
(A) means a facility, or portion of a facil-
ity, that is owned or controlled by the Federal 
Government; and 
(B) includes— 
(i) a facility, or portion of a facility, 
used by the Federal Government under a 
contract or lease; and 
(ii) a facility, or portion of a facility, 
at which operations are carried out under 
the authority of the Federal Government 
granted under a contract or other agree-
ment with the Federal Government; and 
(3) the term ‘‘Member of Congress’’— 
(A) has the meaning given that term under 
section 2106 of title 5, United States Code; and 
(B) does not include the Vice President. 
(b) ACCESS TO FACILITIES.—Subject to subsection 
(c)(4), the head of the agency that controls access to a 
Federal facility, or the manager of the Federal facility, 
shall provide a Member of Congress seeking access to the 
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Federal facility with immediate access to the Federal facil-
ity. 
(c) RESTRICTIONS OF ACCESS FOR NATIONAL SECU-
RITY REASONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—If the head of an agency 
wishes to restrict the access of Members of Congress 
to a Federal facility for national security reasons, 
the head of the agency shall submit to the committee 
of jurisdiction of each House of Congress a report 
explaining the articulable national security damage 
that would result from providing access to the Fed-
eral facility to a Member of Congress. 
(2) NEGOTIATED PROTOCOLS.—If the head of 
an agency submits a report under paragraph (1) 
with respect to a Federal facility, the committees of 
jurisdiction shall seek to negotiate with the head of 
the agency protocols under which all Members of 
Congress may access the Federal facility. 
(3) REPORT SEEKING TO LIMIT ACCESS.—If the 
head of an agency determines that the agency does 
not believe protocols can be established under which 
all Members of Congress may access the Federal fa-
cility, the head of the agency shall submit to the 
committee of jurisdiction of each House of Congress 
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a report explaining the national security reasons 
that such protocols cannot be established. 
(4) LIMIT ON ACCESS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), for a Federal facility with 
respect to which the head of an agency submits 
a report under paragraph (3), with the approval 
of the Chairman and Ranking Member of the 
committee of jurisdiction of each House of Con-
gress, access to the Federal facility may be lim-
ited for national security reasons to Members of 
Congress who are members of a committee of 
jurisdiction. 
(B) CERTAIN OVERSEAS FACILITIES.—For 
a Federal facility that is located outside the 
United States and presents exceptional physical 
security concerns with respect to which the 
head of an agency submits a report under para-
graph (3), with the approval of the Chairman 
and Ranking Member of the committee of juris-
diction of each House of Congress, the Federal 
facility may be restricted for national security 
reasons from all access by Members of Con-
gress. 
(5) ACCESS TO FACILITIES.— 
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(A) PROTOCOLS.—If the head of an agency 
and the committees of jurisdiction negotiate 
protocols under paragraph (2) with respect to a 
Federal facility, the head of the agency that 
controls access to a Federal facility, or the 
manager of the Federal facility, shall provide a 
Member of Congress seeking access to the Fed-
eral facility with immediate access to the Fed-
eral facility in accordance with such protocols. 
(B) DISAPPROVAL.—If the Chairman and 
Ranking Member of the committee of jurisdic-
tion of each House of Congress do not approve 
restricting access to a Federal facility under 
subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (4), the 
head of the agency that controls access to a 
Federal facility, or the manager of the Federal 
facility, shall provide a Member of Congress 
seeking access to the Federal facility with im-
mediate access to the Federal facility in accord-
ance with subsection (b). 
(6) NONDELEGATION.—The duties and authori-
ties of the head of an agency under paragraphs (1) 
through (4) may not be delegated. 
(d) CONTRACTS.—The head of each agency shall en-
sure that any contract, lease, or other agreement with a 
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