I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1272 

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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 23, 2021 

Ms. WEXTON (for herself, Mr. BEYER, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. BROWN, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. FOSTER, Ms. NORTON, Mr. RASKIN, Mr. SARBANES, and Ms. 

SCANLON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform 

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 regarding 

7 such relocation— 

8 (1) such agency— 

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

10 covered relocation; and 

11 (B) submits to the Office of Inspector 

12 General for such agency a report on the find13 ings of the benefit-cost analysis and including 

14 such other information such Office of Inspector 

15 General determines necessary for compliance 

16 with subsection (c); and 

17 (2) such Office of Inspector General reviews the 

18 report and submits to Congress the report described 

19 in subsection (c). 

20 (b) BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—The benefit-cost analysis de22 scribed in subsection (a)(1) shall be conducted in a 

23 manner consistent with the economic and social 

24 science principles articulated in the guidance appli25 cable to relocations in the Office of Management and 


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1 Budget Circular A–4, as in effect on September 17, 

2 2003. 

3 (2) ANALYSIS REPORT.— 

4 (A) CONTENTS.—The report described in 

5 subsection (a)(1)(B) shall include, at a min6 imum— 

7 (i) the anticipated outcomes and im8 provements that will result from the pro9 posed relocation, quantified in monetary or 

10 other appropriate measures to the extent 

11 practicable; 

12 (ii) an explanation of how the pro13 posed relocation will result in the antici14 pated outcomes and improvements; 

15 (iii) the metrics for measuring wheth16 er the proposed relocation results in the 

17 anticipated outcomes and improvements; 

18 (iv) a detailed employee engagement 

19 plan; 

20 (v) a list of stakeholders; 

21 (vi) a timeline of past and future en22 gagements with stakeholders regarding the 

23 proposed relocation; 

24 (vii) an assessment of how the pro25 posed relocation may affect stakeholders— 


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1 (I) served by the positions af2 fected by the relocation; and 

3 (II) in the destination agency or 

4 region; 

5 (viii) a comprehensive strategy for ac6 complishing the proposed relocation that 

7 includes— 

8 (I) staffing, resourcing, and fi9 nancial needs; 

10 (II) an implementation timeline 

11 identifying milestones and the persons 

12 accountable for meeting such mile13 stones; 

14 (III) a risk assessment; and 

15 (IV) a risk mitigation plan; 

16 (ix) an analysis of the effect the pro17 posed relocation may have on the ability of 

18 the Federal agency to carry out its mission 

19 during the relocation and thereafter; and 

20 (x) an assessment of the short- and 

21 long-term effects of the relocation on the 

22 mission of the Federal agency. 

23 (B) PUBLICATION.—A Federal agency 

24 shall make publicly available the report de25 scribed in subsection (a)(1)(B) in a form that 


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1 excludes any proprietary information or trade 

2 secrets of any person and other confidential in3 formation. 

4 (c) INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT TO CONGRESS.— 

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

6 the date on which a Federal agency submits a report 

7 under subsection (a)(1)(B), the Office of Inspector 

8 General for that agency shall submit to the Com9 mittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Af10 fairs of the Senate, the Committee on Environment 

11 and Public Works of the Senate, the Committee on 

12 Oversight and Reform of the House of Representa13 tives, and the Committee on Transportation and In14 frastructure of the House of Representatives a re15 port on the findings of the review conducted under 

16 subsection (a)(2), including— 

17 (A) detailed descriptions of the data used 

18 in the benefit-cost analysis described in sub19 section (a)(1), including the types of data and 

20 the time periods covered by the data; 

21 (B) the conclusions of the benefit-cost 

22 analysis and the analysis underlying such con23 clusions; and 

24 (C) a comprehensive assessment of— 


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1 (i) the extent to which the Federal 

2 agency adhered to the guidance in the Of3 fice of Management and Budget Circular 

4 A–4, as in effect on September 17, 2003, 

5 in conducting the benefit-cost analysis, in6 cluding a determination whether such ad7 herence is sufficient to justify the use of 

8 Federal funds for the relocation involved; 

9 and 

10 (ii) if the relocation involves moving 

11 positions from inside the National Capital 

12 Region to outside the National Capital Re13 gion, the extent to which real estate op14 tions in the National Capital Region were 

15 compared to those in the destination as 

16 part of that analysis. 

17 (2) EXCLUSIONS.— 

18 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Office of Inspector 

19 General for a Federal agency shall exclude from 

20 any report described in this subsection any pro21 prietary information or trade secrets of any per22 son and other confidential information. 

23 (B) EXPLANATION AND DESCRIPTION RE24 QUIRED.—For each exclusion under subpara25 graph (A), the Office of Inspector General shall 


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1 include an explanation of the reason for the ex2 clusion and a description of the information ex3 cluded in an appropriate location in the relevant 

4 report. 

5 (d) OTHER REQUIREMENTS NOT ABROGATED.— 

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

7 or eliminate any requirements imposed by law pertaining 

8 to any relocation of a Federal agency or component of a 

9 Federal agency. 

10 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 

11 (1) ADMINISTRATIVE REDELEGATION OF FUNC12 TION.—The term ‘‘administrative redelegation of 

13 function’’ means a Federal agency establishing new 

14 positions within the agency that replace existing po15 sitions within the agency and perform the functions 

16 of the positions replaced. 

17 (2) COVERED RELOCATION.—The term ‘‘cov18 ered relocation’’ means— 

19 (A) an administrative redelegation of func20 tion which, by itself or in conjunction with 

21 other related redelegations, involves replacing 

22 the existing positions of more than the lesser of 

23 5 percent or 100 of the employees of the rel24 evant Federal agency with new positions located 

25 outside the commuting area of such employees; 


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1 (B) moving a Federal agency or any com2 ponent of a Federal agency if such move, by 

3 itself or in conjunction with other related 

4 moves, involves moving the positions of more 

5 than the lesser of 5 percent or 100 of the em6 ployees of the Federal agency outside the com7 muting area of such employees or under the ju8 risdiction of another Federal agency; or 

9 (C) a combination of related redelegations 

10 and moves which together involve the positions 

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

12 the employees of the relevant Federal agency 

13 being moved to or replaced with new positions 

14 located outside the commuting area of such em15 ployees or moved under the jurisdiction of an16 other Federal agency. 

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

18 an employee or officer of a Federal agency. 

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

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

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

22 (5) NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION.—The term 

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


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1 such term in section 8702 of title 40, United States 

2 Code. 

Æ 


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