I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5403 
To establish a competitive bidding process for the relocation of the 
headquarters of Executive agencies, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 22, 2018 
Mr. MESSER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be sub-
sequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of 
such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish a competitive bidding process for the relocation 
of the headquarters of Executive agencies, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Strategic Withdrawal 
of Agencies for Meaningful Placement Act of 2018’’ or 
the ‘‘SWAMP Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. RELOCATION OF HEADQUARTERS OF EXECUTIVE 
AGENCIES. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) EXECUTIVE AGENCY.—The term ‘‘Executive 
agency’’— 
(A) has the meaning given the term in sec-
tion 105 of title 5, United States Code; and 
(B) does not include— 
(i) the Executive Office of the Presi-
dent; 
(ii) the Department of Defense, in-
cluding the Defense Intelligence Agency, 
the National Security Agency, and the Na-
tional-Geospatial-Intelligence Agency; 
(iii) the Department of Energy; 
(iv) the Department of Homeland Se-
curity; 
(v) the Department of State; 
(vi) the Office of the Director of Na-
tional Intelligence; and 
(vii) the Central Intelligence Agency. 
(2) 
HEADQUARTERS.—The 
term 
‘‘head-
quarters’’— 
(A) means the place or building serving as 
the managerial and administrative center of an 
Executive agency; and 
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(B) does not include an office that the 
head of an Executive agency may maintain sep-
arately from a place or building in the Wash-
ington metropolitan area. 
(3) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 
the 50 States. 
(4) WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA.—The 
term ‘‘Washington metropolitan area’’ means the ge-
ographic area located within the boundaries of the 
following: 
(A) The District of Columbia. 
(B) Montgomery and Prince George’s 
Counties in the State of Maryland. 
(C) Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and 
Prince William Counties and the City of Alex-
andria in the Commonwealth of Virginia. 
(b) REPEAL
OF HEADQUARTERS LOCATION RE-
QUIREMENT.—Section 72 of title 4, United States Code, 
is repealed. 
(c) PROHIBITION ON LOCATION OF HEADQUARTERS 
IN WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA.—With respect to 
a headquarters of an Executive agency that has the head-
quarters of the Executive agency located in the Wash-
ington metropolitan area as of the date of enactment of 
this Act, no new construction or major renovation may be 
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