Federal Government Decentralization Commission Act

To establish a commission to study the relocation of select executive agencies or divisions of such agencies outside the Washington metropolitan area, to make recommendations to Congress on appropriate findings, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Federal Government Decentralization Commission Act 2. Establishment There is established in the General Services Administration a commission to be known as the Federal Government Decentralization Commission Commission 3. Duties of Commission The Commission shall— (1) study the relocation of executive agencies or divisions of executive agencies outside the Washington metropolitan area; and (2) submit to Congress a plan for the relocation of recommended agencies or divisions. 4. Membership (a) Number and appointment The Commission shall be composed of the Administrator of General Services (or a designee) and 10 other members, appointed as follows: (1) Two members shall be appointed by the majority leader of the Senate. (2) Two members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. (3) Two members shall be appointed by the minority leader of the Senate. (4) Two members shall be appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives. (5) Two members shall be appointed by the Administrator of the General Service Administration. (b) Deadline for initial appointment The initial members of the Commission shall be appointed not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. (c) Vacancies A vacancy in the Commission— (1) shall not affect the powers of the Commission; and (2) shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment was made. (d) Compensation Each member of the Commission shall serve without pay. (e) Travel expenses Each member of the Commission shall be allowed a per diem allowance for travel expenses, at rates consistent with those authorized under subchapter I of chapter 57 (f) Chairperson The Chairperson of the Commission shall be the Administrator of General Services (or a designee). 5. Administrative support and staff provided by the General Services Administration Administrative and support staff for the Commission shall be provided by the General Services Administration. 6. Submission of plan to Congress (a) In general Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall develop and submit to Congress a plan for the relocation of executive agencies or divisions of executive agencies outside the Washington metropolitan area. (b) Requirements for plan The plan shall include the following: (1) An identification of new locations for executive agencies or divisions of executive agencies outside the Washington metropolitan area, which shall be prioritized— (A) by relocation to a low-income community; or (B) by relocation to areas with expertise in the mission and goal of the executive agency or division. (2) A consideration of national security implications of the relocation. (3) An economic and workforce development study on how the relocation of an executive agency or division would impact the new location. (4) A list of potential site acquisitions and partial prospectus for executive agencies or divisions of executive agencies, which shall include— (A) a brief description of the building to be constructed, altered, or leased; (B) the location of the building; and (C) an estimate of the maximum cost of the acquisition and the relocation. 7. Definitions In this Act: (1) Executive agency The term executive agency Executive agency (2) Low-income community The term low-income community section 45D(e) 26 U.S.C. 45D(e) (3) Washington metropolitan area The term Washington metropolitan area (A) the District of Columbia; (B) Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties in the State of Maryland; and (C) Arlington, Fairfax, Loudon, and Prince William Counties and the City of Alexandria in the Commonwealth of Virginia. 8. Termination The Commission shall terminate 30 days after the submission of the plan under section 6. 9. Funding No new appropriations may be obligated to carry out this Act.

Summary: Building Rural Investments, Development, and Growth for the Economy Act or the BRIDGE Act This bill requires the Department of Commerce and the Department of State to promote the export of goods and services by small- and medium-sized businesses from, and facilitate business investment in, rural areas of the United States. A rural area is an area with a population of less than 50,000 inhabitants that is outside an urbanized area.