I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4487 
To reduce costs of Federal real estate, improve building security, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 8, 2016 
Mr. BARLETTA (for himself, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. SHUSTER, Mr. 
DEFAZIO, Ms. NORTON, and Mr. NADLER) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-
ture, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period 
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To reduce costs of Federal real estate, improve building 
security, 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 ‘‘Public Buildings Re-
form and Savings Act of 2016’’. 
SEC. 2. STREAMLINED LEASING PILOT PROGRAM. 
(a) EXECUTION OF LEASES.—The Administrator of 
General Services shall establish and conduct a pilot pro-
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gram to execute lease agreements pursuant to authority 
provided under section 585 of title 40, United States 
Code, using alternative procedures. 
(b) ADOPTION.—The Administrator shall prescribe 
alternative procedures to enter into lease agreements in 
accordance with section 585 of title 40, United States 
Code, pursuant to the provisions of this section. 
(c) GOALS OF PROCEDURES.—The goals of the alter-
native procedures are— 
(1) reducing the costs to the Federal Govern-
ment of leased space, including— 
(A) executing long-term leases with firm 
terms of 10 years or more and reducing costly 
holdover and short-term lease extensions, in-
cluding short firm term leases; 
(B) improving office space utilization rates 
of Federal tenants; and 
(C) streamlining and simplifying the leas-
ing process to take advantage of real estate 
markets; and 
(2) significantly reducing or eliminating the 
backlog of expiring leases over the next 5 years. 
(d) LEASEHOLD INTERESTS IN REAL PROPERTY.— 
(1) 
SIMPLIFIED
PROCEDURES.—Notwith-
standing section 3305(b) of title 41, United States 
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Code, but otherwise in accordance with such section, 
the Administrator of General Services shall provide 
special simplified procedures for acquisitions of 
leasehold interests in real property at rental rates 
that do not exceed the simplified lease acquisition 
threshold, as defined in paragraph (2). The rental 
rate under a multiyear lease does not exceed the 
simplified lease acquisition threshold if the average 
annual amount of the rent payable for the period of 
the lease does not exceed the simplified lease acquisi-
tion threshold. 
(2) ACQUISITION
THRESHOLD.—For purposes 
of this section, the simplified lease acquisition 
threshold is $500,000. 
(e) CONSOLIDATED LEASE PROSPECTUSES.—The 
Administrator may, when acquiring leasehold interests 
subject to section 3307 of title 40, United States Code, 
transmit, pursuant to subsection (b) of such section, to 
the committees designated in such section for approval a 
prospectus to acquire leased space, and waive the require-
ments pursuant to paragraphs (3) and (6) of section 
3307(b), subject to the following requirements: 
(1) COST PER SQUARE FOOTAGE.—The cost per 
square footage does not exceed the maximum pro-
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posed rental rate designated for the respective geo-
graphical area. 
(2) SPACE
UTILIZATION.—The Administrator 
ensures the overall space utilization rate is 170 usa-
ble square feet per person or better based on actual 
agency staffing levels when occupied. 
(3) LEASE TERM.—The lease term, including 
the firm term, is not less than 10 years. 
(4) GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION.—The geographical 
location is identified as having a large amount of 
square footage of Federal office space and lease 
turnover and will likely result in providing for the 
ability, on a timely basis, of the agency to consoli-
date space effectively or meet any requirements for 
temporary or interim space required for planned 
consolidations. 
(f) CONSOLIDATIONS GENERALLY.—The Adminis-
trator may consolidate more than 1 project into a single 
prospectus submitted pursuant to section 3307(b), title 
40, United States Code, if such consolidation will facilitate 
efficiencies and reductions in overall space and improved 
utilization rates. 
(g) WAIVER AUTHORITY.—The Administrator may— 
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(1) waive notice and comment rulemaking, if 
the Administrator determines the waiver is necessary 
to implement this section expeditiously; and 
(2) carry out the alternative procedures under 
this section as a pilot program. 
(h) REPORTS.— 
(1) ANNUAL REPORTS.—During the period in 
which the pilot program is conducted under this sec-
tion, the Administrator shall submit, annually, to 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Environment and Public Works of the Senate a 
progress report that provides updates on the number 
and square footage of leases expiring in the 5-year 
period beginning on the date of enactment of this 
Act, by agency and region, and which shall include 
for the expiring leases— 
(A) an average of the lease terms, includ-
ing firm terms, for leases executed; and 
(B) the percentage of leases managed in- 
house or through the use of commercial real es-
tate leasing services. 
(2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 180 days 
after termination of the pilot program, the Adminis-
trator shall submit a final report to the Committee 
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on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Environ-
ment and Public Works of the Senate. The final re-
port shall include— 
(A) a review and evaluation of the lease 
agreements executed under the alternative pro-
cedures established pursuant to this section in 
comparison to those agreements not executed 
pursuant to the alternative procedures; 
(B) recommendations on any permanent 
changes to the General Services Administra-
tion’s leasing authority; and 
(C) a progress evaluation in meeting the 
goals described in subsection (c). 
(i) TERMINATION.—The authorities under this sec-
tion shall terminate on December 31, 2021. 
SEC. 3. EXCHANGE AUTHORITY. 
(a) LIMITATION ON EXCHANGE AUTHORITY.—Sec-
tion 3307(a) of title 40, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘(including 
by exchange)’’ after ‘‘acquire’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) An appropriation for any costs and ex-
penses associated with administering an acquisition 
by exchange involving real property or in-kind con-
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sideration, including services, with a fair market 
value of $2,850,000 or more.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall not apply to projects in which a procure-
ment has already begun. 
SEC. 4. FEDERAL PROTECTIVE SERVICE. 
(a) Section 1315 of title 40, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(h) CONTRACT SECURITY PERSONNEL.— 
‘‘(1) AUTHORITIES
FOR
CONTRACT
SECURITY 
PERSONNEL.— 
‘‘(A) CARRYING OF FIREARMS.—The Sec-
retary may authorize contract security per-
sonnel engaged in the protection of buildings 
and grounds that are owned, occupied, or se-
cured by the General Services Administration 
Public Buildings Service to carry firearms to 
carry out their official duties. 
‘‘(B) DETENTION WITHOUT A WARRANT.— 
A person authorized to carry a firearm under 
this subsection may, while in the performance 
of, and in connection with, official duties, de-
tain an individual without a warrant for any of-
fense against the United States committed in 
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that person’s presence or for any felony cog-
nizable under the laws of the United States if 
that person has reasonable grounds to believe 
that the individual to be detained has com-
mitted or is committing such felony. The deten-
tion authority conferred by this paragraph is in 
addition to any detention authority provided 
under other laws. 
‘‘(2) LIMITATIONS.—The following limitations 
apply: 
‘‘(A) DETENTION.—Contract security per-
sonnel authorized to carry firearms under this 
section may detain an individual only if the in-
dividual to be detained is within, or in direct 
flight from, the area of such offense. 
‘‘(B) ENFORCEMENT OF CERTAIN LAWS.— 
A person granted authority to detain under this 
section may exercise such authority only to en-
force laws regarding any building and grounds 
and all property located in or on that building 
and grounds that are owned, occupied, or se-
cured by the General Services Administration 
Public Buildings Service. 
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