[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9835 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9835

 To allow members of Congress access to certain Federal buildings, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 22, 2026

Mr. Beyer (for himself, Mrs. Hayes, Ms. Ansari, Ms. Norton, Mrs. Watson 
    Coleman, Mr. Takano, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Tonko, and Mr. Moulton) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                   Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To allow members of Congress access to certain Federal buildings, 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 ``Congressional Oversight and Agency 
Access Act''.

SEC. 2. ACCESS TO FEDERAL BUILDINGS.

    (a) In General.--Each Member of Congress and congressional staff 
member shall have access to any public building during regular business 
hours.
    (b) Requirements.--
            (1) Identification.--A Member of Congress seeking access to 
        a public building under this section shall provide 
        congressional identification.
            (2) Congressional staff.--A congressional staff member 
        shall have access to a public building under this section only 
        if--
                    (A) such staff member is accompanied by the Member 
                of Congress that employs the staff member; and
                    (B) such staff member provides a valid 
                congressional staff identification badge upon seeking 
                access to such building.
            (3) 24 hour access.--At the request of a Member of Congress 
        or a congressional staff member, such Member or staff member 
        shall have access to a public building outside of regular 
        business hours not later than 24 hours after such request is 
        made.
    (c) Accessibility During Public Meetings.--In the case in which a 
Member of Congress or a congressional staff member is seeking access to 
a public building under this section during a public meeting, such 
Member of Congress or congressional staff member shall have immediate 
access to such building.
    (d) Extenuating Circumstances.--The requirements of subsection (a) 
shall apply during an extenuating circumstance and any restriction on 
access to a building that is imposed on the public during such a 
circumstance shall not apply to a Member of Congress or an applicable 
congressional staff member.
    (e) Areas Requiring Security Clearance.--With respect to any part 
of a public building for which a security clearance is required for 
entry, not later than 24 hours after a Member of Congress, or a 
congressional staff member with the appropriate level of security 
clearance, requests access to such part of the building, the Member or 
congressional staff member shall have--
            (1) access to such part of the building if the Member (or 
        the staff of such Member) is a Member of a congressional 
        committee with jurisdiction over the applicable agency; or
            (2) if the Member (or the staff of such Member) is not a 
        Member of such a congressional committee, access to such part 
        of the building if the Member has the consent of the Chair or 
        Ranking Member of such congressional committee.
    (f) Restriction on Modification.--With respect to a building to 
which access under this section is requested, no temporary 
modifications to such building may be made to alter what may be 
observed by a Member of Congress or congressional staff member.
    (g) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Access.--The term ``access'' means meaningful access to 
        and observation of all parts of a public building in order for 
        a Member of Congress to satisfy the constitutional oversight 
        responsibility of such Member.
            (2) Congressional identification.--The term ``congressional 
        identification'' means any form of identification issued to 
        Members by the Clerk or Sergeant at Arms of the House of 
        Representatives (in the case of a Member of the House of 
        Representatives) or by the Secretary or Sergeant at Arms and 
        Doorkeeper of the Senate (in the case of a Senator).
            (3) Congressional staff member.--The term ``congressional 
        staff member'' means a full-time staff member of the House of 
        Representatives or the Senate.
            (4) Extenuating circumstance.--The term ``extenuating 
        circumstance'' means an event for which--
                    (A) the President has declared an emergency 
                pursuant to section 202 of the National Emergencies Act 
                (50 U.S.C. 1622); or
                    (B) the Secretary of Health and Human Services has 
                declared an emergency pursuant to section 319 of the 
                Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d).
            (5) Member of congress.--The term ``Member of Congress'' 
        means a Member of the House of Representatives or a Senator.
            (6) Public building.--The term ``public building'' has the 
        meaning given such term in section 3301 of title 40, United 
        States Code, and includes--
                    (A) contractor-owned and operated facilities;
                    (B) facilities used through an intergovernmental 
                service agreement with local jurisdictions; and
                    (C) facilities under contract with a Federal 
                entity.
                                 <all>