II 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 487 

To require Federal agencies to conduct a benefit-cost analysis on relocations 

involving the movement of employment positions to different areas, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 16, 2023 

Mr. VAN HOLLEN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

A BILL 

To require Federal agencies to conduct a benefit-cost analysis 

on relocations involving the movement of employment 

positions to different areas, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Congressional Over5 sight to Secure Transparency of Relocations Act’’ or the 

6 ‘‘COST of Relocations Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS ON CERTAIN RELOCA2 TIONS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection 

4 (d), a Federal agency may not carry out a covered reloca5 tion unless, prior to any submission to the Office of Man6 agement and Budget or other reviewing entity relating to 

7 such covered relocation— 

8 (1) the Federal agency— 

9 (A) conducts a benefit-cost analysis on the 

10 covered relocation; and 

11 (B) submits to the Inspector General of 

12 the Federal agency a report on the findings of 

13 the benefit-cost analysis and includes in the re14 port such other information the Inspector Gen15 eral determines necessary for compliance with 

16 subsection (c); and 

17 (2) the Inspector General of the Federal agency 

18 reviews the report submitted pursuant to paragraph 

19 (1) and submits to Congress the report described in 

20 subsection (c). 

21 (b) BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—The benefit-cost analysis de23 scribed in subsection (a)(1)(A) shall be conducted in 

24 a manner consistent with the economic and social 

25 science principles articulated in the guidance appli26 cable to relocations in the document of the Office of 


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1 Management and Budget entitled ‘‘Circular A–4’’, 

2 as in effect on September 17, 2003. 

3 (2) ANALYSIS REPORT.— 

4 (A) CONTENTS.—Each report submitted 

5 by the Inspector General of a Federal agency 

6 pursuant to subsection (a)(1)(B) shall include, 

7 at a minimum— 

8 (i) the anticipated outcomes and im9 provements that will result from the pro10 posed covered relocation, quantified in 

11 monetary or other appropriate measures to 

12 the extent practicable; 

13 (ii) an explanation of how the pro14 posed covered relocation will result in the 

15 anticipated outcomes and improvements; 

16 (iii) the metrics for measuring wheth17 er the proposed covered relocation results 

18 in the anticipated outcomes and improve19 ments; 

20 (iv) a detailed employee engagement 

21 plan; 

22 (v) a list of stakeholders; 

23 (vi) a timeline of past and future en24 gagements with stakeholders regarding the 

25 proposed covered relocation; 


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1 (vii) an assessment of how the pro2 posed covered relocation may affect stake3 holders— 

4 (I) served by the positions af5 fected by the proposed covered reloca6 tion; and 

7 (II) in the destination agency or 

8 region; 

9 (viii) a comprehensive strategy for ac10 complishing the proposed covered reloca11 tion that includes— 

12 (I) staffing, resourcing, and fi13 nancial needs; 

14 (II) an implementation timeline 

15 identifying milestones and the persons 

16 accountable for meeting such mile17 stones; 

18 (III) a risk assessment; 

19 (IV) a risk mitigation plan; and 

20 (V) a diversity management 

21 strategy including— 

22 (aa) a strategy for sus23 taining diversity and inclusion; 

24 and 


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1 (bb) documentation of ongo2 ing succession and recruiting 

3 planning processes; 

4 (ix) an analysis of the effect the pro5 posed covered relocation may have on the 

6 ability of the Federal agency to carry out 

7 the mission of the Federal agency during 

8 the covered relocation and thereafter; and 

9 (x) an assessment of the short- and 

10 long-term effects of the proposed covered 

11 relocation on the mission of the Federal 

12 agency. 

13 (B) PUBLICATION.—A Federal agency 

14 shall make publicly available each report sub15 mitted by the Inspector General of a Federal 

16 agency pursuant to subsection (a)(1)(B) in a 

17 form that excludes any proprietary information 

18 or trade secrets of any person and other con19 fidential information. 

20 (c) INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT TO CONGRESS.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 

22 the date on which the Inspector General of a Fed23 eral agency submits a report under subsection 

24 (a)(1)(B), the Inspector General of that agency shall 

25 submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and 


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1 Governmental Affairs of the Senate, the Committee 

2 on Environment and Public Works of the Senate, 

3 the Committee on Oversight and Accountability of 

4 the House of Representatives, and the Committee on 

5 Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 

6 Representatives a report on the findings of the re7 view conducted under subsection (a)(1), including— 

8 (A) detailed descriptions of the data used 

9 in the benefit-cost analysis carried out pursuant 

10 to subsection (a)(1), including the types of data 

11 and the time periods covered by the data; 

12 (B) the conclusions of the benefit-cost 

13 analysis and the analysis underlying such con14 clusions; and 

15 (C) a comprehensive assessment of— 

16 (i) the extent to which the Federal 

17 agency adhered to the guidance in the doc18 ument of the Office of Management and 

19 Budget entitled ‘‘Circular A–4’’, as in ef20 fect on September 17, 2003, in conducting 

21 the benefit-cost analysis, including a deter22 mination as to whether such adherence is 

23 sufficient to justify the use of Federal 

24 funds for the proposed covered relocation 

25 involved; and 


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1 (ii) if the proposed covered relocation 

2 involves moving positions from inside the 

3 National Capital Region to outside the Na4 tional Capital Region, the extent to which 

5 real estate options in the National Capital 

6 Region were compared to those in the des7 tination as part of that analysis. 

8 (2) EXCLUSIONS.— 

9 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Inspector General 

10 of a Federal agency shall exclude from any re11 port described in this subsection any propri12 etary information or trade secrets of any person 

13 and other confidential information. 

14 (B) EXPLANATION AND DESCRIPTION RE15 QUIRED.—For each exclusion under subpara16 graph (A), the Inspector General of the Federal 

17 agency shall include an explanation of the rea18 son for the exclusion and a description of the 

19 information excluded in an appropriate location 

20 in the relevant report. 

21 (d) OTHER REQUIREMENTS NOT ABROGATED.— 

22 Nothing in this Act shall be construed to abrogate, reduce, 

23 or eliminate any requirements imposed by law pertaining 

24 to any covered relocation of a Federal agency or compo25 nent of a Federal agency. 


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1 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 

2 (1) ADMINISTRATIVE REDELEGATION OF FUNC3 TION.—The term ‘‘administrative redelegation of 

4 function’’ means a Federal agency establishing new 

5 positions within the agency that replace existing po6 sitions within the Federal agency and perform the 

7 functions of the positions replaced. 

8 (2) COVERED RELOCATION.—The term ‘‘cov9 ered relocation’’ means— 

10 (A) an administrative redelegation of func11 tion which, by itself or in conjunction with 

12 other related redelegations, involves replacing 

13 the existing positions of more than the lesser of 

14 5 percent or 100 of the employees of the rel15 evant Federal agency with new positions located 

16 outside the commuting area of such employees; 

17 (B) moving a Federal agency or any com18 ponent of a Federal agency if such move, by 

19 itself or in conjunction with other related 

20 moves, involves moving the positions of more 

21 than the lesser of 5 percent or 100 of the em22 ployees of the Federal agency outside the com23 muting area of such employees or under the ju24 risdiction of another Federal agency; or 


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1 (C) a combination of related redelegations 

2 and moves that together involve the positions of 

3 more than the lesser of 5 percent or 100 of the 

4 employees of the relevant Federal agency being 

5 moved to or replaced with new positions located 

6 outside the commuting area of such employees 

7 or moved under the jurisdiction of another Fed8 eral agency. 

9 (3) EMPLOYEE.—The term ‘‘employee’’ means 

10 an employee or officer of a Federal agency. 

11 (4) FEDERAL AGENCY.—The term ‘‘Federal 

12 agency’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘agency’’ 

13 in section 902 of title 5, United States Code. 

14 (5) NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION.—The term 

15 ‘‘National Capital Region’’ has the meaning given 

16 the term in section 8702 of title 40, United States 

17 Code. 

Æ 


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