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. CON-
NOLLY, Mr. FOSTER, Ms. NORTON, Mr. RASKIN, Mr. SARBANES, and Ms. 
SCANLON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee 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. 
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 ‘‘Congressional Over-
sight to Secure Transparency of Relocations Act’’ or the 
‘‘COST of Relocations Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS ON CERTAIN RELOCA-
TIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection 
(d), a Federal agency may not carry out a covered reloca-
tion unless, prior to any submission to the Office of Man-
agement and Budget or other reviewing entity regarding 
such relocation— 
(1) such agency— 
(A) conducts a benefit-cost analysis on the 
covered relocation; and 
(B) submits to the Office of Inspector 
General for such agency a report on the find-
ings of the benefit-cost analysis and including 
such other information such Office of Inspector 
General determines necessary for compliance 
with subsection (c); and 
(2) such Office of Inspector General reviews the 
report and submits to Congress the report described 
in subsection (c). 
(b) BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The benefit-cost analysis de-
scribed in subsection (a)(1) shall be conducted in a 
manner consistent with the economic and social 
science principles articulated in the guidance appli-
cable to relocations in the Office of Management and 
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Budget Circular A–4, as in effect on September 17, 
2003. 
(2) ANALYSIS REPORT.— 
(A) CONTENTS.—The report described in 
subsection (a)(1)(B) shall include, at a min-
imum— 
(i) the anticipated outcomes and im-
provements that will result from the pro-
posed relocation, quantified in monetary or 
other appropriate measures to the extent 
practicable; 
(ii) an explanation of how the pro-
posed relocation will result in the antici-
pated outcomes and improvements; 
(iii) the metrics for measuring wheth-
er the proposed relocation results in the 
anticipated outcomes and improvements; 
(iv) a detailed employee engagement 
plan; 
(v) a list of stakeholders; 
(vi) a timeline of past and future en-
gagements with stakeholders regarding the 
proposed relocation; 
(vii) an assessment of how the pro-
posed relocation may affect stakeholders— 
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(I) served by the positions af-
fected by the relocation; and 
(II) in the destination agency or 
region; 
(viii) a comprehensive strategy for ac-
complishing the proposed relocation that 
includes— 
(I) staffing, resourcing, and fi-
nancial needs; 
(II) an implementation timeline 
identifying milestones and the persons 
accountable for meeting such mile-
stones; 
(III) a risk assessment; and 
(IV) a risk mitigation plan; 
(ix) an analysis of the effect the pro-
posed relocation may have on the ability of 
the Federal agency to carry out its mission 
during the relocation and thereafter; and 
(x) an assessment of the short- and 
long-term effects of the relocation on the 
mission of the Federal agency. 
(B) PUBLICATION.—A Federal agency 
shall make publicly available the report de-
scribed in subsection (a)(1)(B) in a form that 
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excludes any proprietary information or trade 
secrets of any person and other confidential in-
formation. 
(c) INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT TO CONGRESS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date on which a Federal agency submits a report 
under subsection (a)(1)(B), the Office of Inspector 
General for that agency shall submit to the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Af-
fairs of the Senate, the Committee on Environment 
and Public Works of the Senate, the Committee on 
Oversight and Reform of the House of Representa-
tives, and the Committee on Transportation and In-
frastructure of the House of Representatives a re-
port on the findings of the review conducted under 
subsection (a)(2), including— 
(A) detailed descriptions of the data used 
in the benefit-cost analysis described in sub-
section (a)(1), including the types of data and 
the time periods covered by the data; 
(B) the conclusions of the benefit-cost 
analysis and the analysis underlying such con-
clusions; and 
(C) a comprehensive assessment of— 
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(i) the extent to which the Federal 
agency adhered to the guidance in the Of-
fice of Management and Budget Circular 
A–4, as in effect on September 17, 2003, 
in conducting the benefit-cost analysis, in-
cluding a determination whether such ad-
herence is sufficient to justify the use of 
Federal funds for the relocation involved; 
and 
(ii) if the relocation involves moving 
positions from inside the National Capital 
Region to outside the National Capital Re-
gion, the extent to which real estate op-
tions in the National Capital Region were 
compared to those in the destination as 
part of that analysis. 
(2) EXCLUSIONS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Office of Inspector 
General for a Federal agency shall exclude from 
any report described in this subsection any pro-
prietary information or trade secrets of any per-
son and other confidential information. 
(B) EXPLANATION AND DESCRIPTION RE-
QUIRED.—For each exclusion under subpara-
graph (A), the Office of Inspector General shall 
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include an explanation of the reason for the ex-
clusion and a description of the information ex-
cluded in an appropriate location in the relevant 
report. 
(d) OTHER REQUIREMENTS NOT ABROGATED.— 
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to abrogate, reduce, 
or eliminate any requirements imposed by law pertaining 
to any relocation of a Federal agency or component of a 
Federal agency. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 
(1) ADMINISTRATIVE REDELEGATION OF FUNC-
TION.—The term ‘‘administrative redelegation of 
function’’ means a Federal agency establishing new 
positions within the agency that replace existing po-
sitions within the agency and perform the functions 
of the positions replaced. 
(2) COVERED
RELOCATION.—The term ‘‘cov-
ered relocation’’ means— 
(A) an administrative redelegation of func-
tion which, by itself or in conjunction with 
other related redelegations, involves replacing 
the existing positions of more than the lesser of 
5 percent or 100 of the employees of the rel-
evant Federal agency with new positions located 
outside the commuting area of such employees; 
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