89–010 

Calendar No. 437 

111TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 2d Session 111–212 

FEDERAL BUILDINGS PERSONNEL TRAINING ACT OF 2010 

JUNE 21, 2010.—Ordered to be printed 

Mrs. BOXER, from the Committee on Environment and Public 

Works, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 3250] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Environment and Public Works, to which was 

referred the bill (S. 3250) to provide for the training of Federal 

building personnel, and for other purposes, having considered the 

same, reports favorably thereon and recommends that the bill do 

pass. 

PURPOSES OF THE LEGISLATION

S. 3250 would require the Administrator of the U.S. General 

Services Administration to develop core competencies to be possessed and demonstrated by certain federal buildings personnel. 

GENERAL STATEMENT AND BACKGROUND

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act included a substantial investment of $5.5 billion apportioned to the General Services Administration (GSA) to upgrade its facilities. In order to safeguard this substantial investment, the GSA must have all of the 

tools necessary to not only upgrade its infrastructure, but also to 

ensure that these buildings are properly maintained and operated 

at their highest performance levels. 

The Government Accountability Office has noted that federal 

agencies face a number of challenges in meeting their energy management goals (GAO 10–22). One of those challenges is the rapid 

building and retrofitting of federal facilities, without a focus on the 

individuals whose responsibility it is to operate and maintain these 

facilities. To this point, a recent study by the International FaciliVerDate Mar 15 2010 04:52 Jun 22, 2010 Jkt 089010 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\SR212.XXX SR212

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ties Management Association showed that for every $1 spent on facility management training, organizations reported receiving an average of $3.95 in return. 

As the nation continues to invest in making federal buildings 

more energy efficient by building and retrofitting them to high-performance standards, we must also ensure that they perform up to 

these standards. This legislation will help to ensure that federal 

buildings are operated in a way that maximizes their performance—assuring that they retain value throughout their lifecycles 

and that the taxpayer investment in these properties is both protected and leveraged through the cost savings involved with efficient building operations and management. 

While continuing to invest in America’s infrastructure, it is important to protect Federal assets through proper operations and 

management, employing industry best practices, and stressing the 

importance of continuing education for facility management professionals. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title 

Section 1 designates the short title of the bill as the Federal 

Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010. 

Section 2. Training of Federal building personnel 

Subsection (a) Identification of Core Competencies 

Subsection (a) requires the GSA Administrator to work with relevant professional societies, industry associations and apprenticeship training providers, to identify core competencies necessary for 

Federal personnel working in a Federal facility. These core competencies shall include building operations and maintenance, energy management, sustainability, water efficiency, safety (including 

electrical safety), and building performance measures. 

Subsection (b) Designation of Relevant Courses, Certifications, Degrees, Licenses, and Registrations 

Subsection (b) requires the GSA Administrator, to work with relevant professional societies, industry associations and apprenticeship training providers, to identify courses, certifications, degrees, 

licenses or registrations that provide for each core competency listed in subsection (a). Ongoing training will also be identified. To the 

extent possible, the GSA, out of already existing and appropriated 

funds, should facilitate these relevant training regimens for the 

prescribed personnel. 

Subsection (c) Identified Competencies 

Subsection (c) requires individuals working within each core competency to demonstrate that they have the required knowledge for 

that competency. It is not the intention of this legislation to require 

personnel to demonstrate competencies outside the realm of their 

routine responsibilities and duties. For example, an individual 

working in energy management must demonstrate energy management competency. 

Subsection (c) also requires individuals to demonstrate the core 

competency within one year after the core competencies are identiVerDate Mar 15 2010 04:52 Jun 22, 2010 Jkt 089010 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\SR212.XXX SR212

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fied. If someone is hired after this identification, they will also have 

one year to demonstrate the core competency. If an individual will 

work for less than one year, they must demonstrate the core competency at the start of employment. 

Subsection (d) Continuing Education 

Subsection (d) requires the GSA Administrator to work with relevant professional societies, industry associations and apprenticeship training providers, to develop or identify continuing education 

courses to ensure personnel keep up with new developments and 

industry best practices and standards. 

Subsection (e) Curriculum with Respect to Facility Management and Operation of High-Performance Buildings 

Subsection (e) requires the GSA Administrator, working with the 

Department of Energy’s Office of Commercial High-Performance 

Green Buildings, the GSA’s Office of Federal High-Performance 

Green Buildings, other appropriate heads of Federal departments 

and agencies, and industry and labor groups, to develop a recommended curriculum relating to facility management and the operation of high-performance buildings. This recommendation will be 

made within 18 months of the legislation’s enactment. 

Subsection (f) Applicability of this Section to Functions Performed Under Contract 

Subsection (f) requires that the legislation apply to non-Federal 

personnel performing the prescribed functions, and that a contractor shall provide training to non-Federal personnel in a manner 

that is approved by the Administrator. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

S. 3250 was introduced by Senators Carper and Collins on March 

22, 2010. The bill was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. The Committee met on 

May 20, 2010, when S. 3250 was ordered reported favorably without amendment by voice vote. 

ROLLCALL VOTES

There were no rollcall votes. The Committee on Environment and 

Public Works met to consider S. 3250 on May 20, 2010. S. 3250 was 

reported favorably without amendment by a voice vote. 

REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT

In compliance with section 11(b)(2) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee states that there are not expected to be significant costs to private entities under this legislation. 

MANDATES ASSESSMENT

In compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 

(Public Law 104–4), the Committee finds that S. 3250 would impose no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in 

the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA). 


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CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

JUNE 16, 2010. 

Hon. BARBARA BOXER, 

Chairman, Committee on Environment and Public Works, 

U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MADAM CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has 

prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 3250, the Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew Pickford. 

Sincerely, 

DOUGLAS W. ELMENDORF. 

Enclosure. 

S. 3250—Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010 

Summary: S. 3250 would require the General Services Administration (GSA) to develop and implement a governmentwide program to train and certify personnel performing building operations 

and maintenance activities in federal buildings. 

CBO estimates that implementing S. 3250 would increase the administrative costs of GSA and other federal agencies by $22 million 

over the 2011–2015 period, assuming the availability of appropriated funds. S. 3250 also could affect direct spending by agencies 

not funded through annual appropriations, such as the Tennessee 

Valley Authority and the Bonneville Power Administration; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures would apply. CBO estimates, however, that any net increase in spending for training programs by 

those agencies would not be significant. Enacting S. 3250 would not 

affect revenues. 

S. 3250 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) 

and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments. 

Estimated Cost to the Federal Government: The estimated budgetary impact of S. 3250 is shown in the following table. The costs 

of this legislation fall within budget function 800 (general government) and all budget functions that include rental payments for 

federal facilities. 

By fiscal year, in millions of dollars— 

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2011- 

2015 

CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION 

Estimated Authorization Level .......................................... 3 4 5 5 5 22 

Estimated Outlays ............................................................ 3 4 5 5 5 22 

Basis of estimate: For this estimate, CBO assumes that S. 3250 

will be enacted in fiscal year 2010 and that spending will follow 

historical patterns for similar activities. 

S. 3250 would direct GSA to identify, within 18 months, the core 

competencies needed by personnel at federal facilities who perform 

building operations and maintenance. GSA would then identify 

training courses, professional certifications, and licenses that would 

be needed by federal facilities personnel. 


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Information from GSA and private contractors suggests that 

about 40,000 people are involved in federal building operations, including about 1,500 federal employees. Based on information from 

GSA, CBO estimates that implementing S. 3250 would increase 

GSA’s administrative costs by about $2 million over the 2011–2012 

period to develop core competencies in building management and 

to identify a certification program for federal building managers 

and personnel. In addition, we estimate that federal agencies would 

incur additional training costs for federal employees or federal contractors that provide building management services to the federal 

government. According to information provided by GSA and similar 

governmentwide training programs, CBO estimates those costs 

would reach about $5 million annually by 2013. 

Pay-As-You-Go considerations: The Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act 

of 2010 establishes budget reporting and enforcement procedures 

for legislation affecting direct spending or revenues. S. 3250 could 

affect direct spending by agencies not funded through annual appropriations, such as the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Bonneville Power Administration; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures 

would apply. CBO estimates, however, that any net increase in 

spending for training programs or contracts for federal building operations by those agencies would not be significant. Enacting S. 

3250 would not affect revenues. The net budgetary changes that 

are subject to pay-as-you-go procedures are shown in the following 

table. 

CBO ESTIMATE OF PAY-AS-YOU-GO EFFECTS FOR S. 3250, THE FEDERAL BUILDINGS PERSONNEL 

TRAINING ACT OF 2010, AS ORDERED REPORTED BY THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS ON MAY 20, 2010 

By fiscal year, in millions of dollars— 

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2010– 

2015 

2010– 

2020 

NET INCREASE OR DECREASE (¥) IN THE DEFICIT 

Statutory Pay-As-YouGo Impact ............. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 

Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: S. 3250 contains no 

intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in UMRA 

and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments. 

Estimate prepared by: Federal costs: Matthew Pickford; Impact 

on state, local, and tribal governments: Elizabeth Cove Delisle; Impact on the private sector: Paige Piper/Bach. 

Estimate approved by: Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant Director 

for Budget Analysis. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

Section 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate requires the committee to publish changes in existing law made by 

the bill as reported. Passage of this bill will make no changes to 

existing law. 

Æ 


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