Summary#
This bill directs the Administrator of General Services (GSA) to dispose of six named federal office buildings in Washington, D.C. Disposal means the Administrator may sell each building at fair market value for its highest and best use or enter into a ground lease up to 99 years. The sale or lease can include relocating agencies that occupy the buildings or a leaseback for up to 5 years. The bill bars sales or ground leases to certain foreign persons or entities and allows the Administrator wide discretion over terms and conditions.
The bill exempts the listed disposals from several laws, including the McKinney-Vento homeless assistance notice requirement, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the National Historic Preservation Act (with some limits for additional buildings), and certain procurement and administrative procedures. Actions to carry out the disposals are not subject to judicial review under the Administrative Procedure Act and some other statutes. The Administrator may add up to 20 additional low-utilization buildings each year after 30 days' notice to two congressional committees, with specific size and historic-status limits on some exemptions. The authority in the bill ends on December 31, 2028, though earlier actions remain in effect.
What it means for you#
- Six specific Washington, D.C. federal office buildings are targeted for sale or long ground leases; agencies now in those buildings could be moved.
- GSA can sell buildings or sign long ground leases and may include short-term leasebacks (up to 5 years) so agencies can stay temporarily.
- GSA has sole authority to pick new locations for relocated agencies, but must consult the agency and consider its mission needs. GSA may not use build-to-suit contracts to construct new agency-specific buildings.
- GSA must give two congressional committees 30 days' notice before publicly announcing a move of an agency outside the District of Columbia.
- Sales or leases cannot be made to covered foreign persons or entities.
- Certain environmental, historic-preservation, homeless-assistance, procurement, and administrative-review requirements are waived for the listed disposals, with some limits for additional buildings added later.
Expenses#
- The bill directs that from net proceeds of these disposals, amounts needed to implement the section, including relocation costs as determined by the Administrator, be deposited into the Federal Buildings Fund.
- Any additional net proceeds after that deposit must be deposited into the general fund of the Treasury for deficit reduction.
- Amounts deposited into the Federal Buildings Fund under this bill may only be spent subject to a specific future appropriation. The bill also states that amounts already made available in the Federal Buildings Fund in other Acts may be used until expended for relocation expenses.
Proponents' View#
No publicly available information.
Opponents' View#
No publicly available information.