OUR Public Buildings Act
Bill: H.R.7714 | Sponsor: Rep. Titus, Dina (D-NV)
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Outlease Reform in Public Buildings Act or the OUR Public Buildings Act
This bill establishes requirements for outleasing certain federal buildings.
Specifically, the General Services Administration (GSA) must develop and require the use of standard clauses to use in any outlease agreement that
Any such agreement must require the lessee to submit a form disclosing any foreign ownership interest in the outlease.
The GSA may not enter into such an outlease with the President, the Vice President, the head of an executive agency, or a Member of Congress.
The outlease shall not take effect if Congress enacts a joint resolution of disapproval of the outlease and such joint resolution is signed by the President.

To amend title 40, United States Code, to establish requirements for 
     outleasing certain Federal buildings, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Outlease Reform in Public Buildings 
Act'' or the ``OUR Public Buildings Act''.

SEC. 2. OUTLEASING FEDERAL BUILDINGS.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter V of chapter 5 of title 40, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 594. Outlease of Federal buildings
    ``(a) Requirements.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
        of enactment of this section, the Administrator of General 
        Services shall develop and require the use of standard clauses 
        to use in covered outlease agreements.
            ``(2) Contents.--The covered outlease agreements shall 
        contain a provision authorizing the Administrator and the 
        inspector general of the General Services Administration to 
        audit the covered outlease.
    ``(b) Conditions on Covered Outleases.--Any covered outlease 
agreement entered into by the Administrator shall require the lessee to 
submit a form disclosing any foreign ownership interest in such covered 
outlease.
    ``(c) Prohibition on Certain Outleases.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Administrator may not enter into a 
        covered outlease with the President of the United States, the 
        Vice President of the United States, the head of an Executive 
        agency, or a Member of Congress.
            ``(2) Certification of covered outlease.--The Administrator 
        may only sign a covered outlease agreement if the Office of 
        General Counsel of the General Services Administration has 
        certified in writing that the lessor is not the President of 
        the United States, the Vice President of the United States, the 
        head of an Executive agency, or a Member of Congress.
    ``(d) Congressional Review.--
            ``(1) In general.--Before a covered outlease takes effect, 
        the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on 
        Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
        Representatives, the Committee on Environment and Public Works 
        of the Senate, and Congress a copy of such covered outlease.
            ``(2) Effective date of outlease.--A covered outlease 
        submitted under paragraph (1) shall take effect on the latest 
        of--
                    ``(A) the date that is 180 days after the date on 
                which a copy of a covered outlease is submitted under 
                paragraph (1); or
                    ``(B) if the Congress passes a joint resolution of 
                disapproval described in paragraph (4) relating to the 
                covered outlease, and the President signs a veto of 
                such resolution, the earlier date--
                            ``(i) on which either House of Congress 
                        votes and fails to override the veto of the 
                        President; or
                            ``(ii) occurring 30 session days after the 
                        date on which the Congress received the veto 
                        and objections of the President.
            ``(3) Congressional rejection of outlease.--Notwithstanding 
        paragraph (2), a covered outlease submitted under paragraph (1) 
        shall not take effect if Congress enacts a joint resolution of 
        disapproval of the covered outlease pursuant to paragraph (4) 
        and such joint resolution is signed by the President.
            ``(4) Disapproval resolution.--
                    ``(A) In general.--For purposes of this subsection, 
                the term `joint resolution' means only a joint 
                resolution introduced in the period beginning on the 
                date on which a covered outlease described in paragraph 
                (1) is received by the Committees described in such 
                paragraph and Congress and ending 60 days thereafter 
                (excluding days either House of Congress is adjourned 
                for more than 3 days during a session of Congress), the 
                matter after the resolving clause of which is as 
                follows: `That Congress disapproves the outlease 
                submitted by the Administrator of General Services 
                relating to the outlease of ____, and such outlease 
                shall have no effect.' (The blank spaces being 
                appropriately filled in).
                    ``(B) Referral of joint resolution.--A joint 
                resolution described in subparagraph (A) shall be 
                referred to the committees in each House of Congress 
                with jurisdiction.
    ``(e) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Beneficial owner.--The term `beneficial owner' means 
        each natural person who, directly or indirectly, through any 
        contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship, or 
        otherwise--
                    ``(A) exercises control over the building for which 
                a covered outlease is entered into under this section; 
                or
                    ``(B) has a substantial interest in or receives 
                substantial economic benefits from the such building.
            ``(2) Executive agency.--The term `Executive agency' has 
        the meaning given the term in section 101 of title 5, United 
        States Code.
            ``(3) Member of congress.--The term `Member of Congress' 
        means a Member of the Senate or House of Representatives, a 
        Delegate to the House of Representatives, and the Resident 
        Commissioner from Puerto Rico.
            ``(4) Covered outlease.--The term `covered outlease' means 
        a lease that--
                    ``(A) is for a public building that is at least 
                150,000 gross square feet;
                    ``(B) is entered into by the Administrator of 
                General Services and a private entity;
                    ``(C) for which the leased space totals at least 51 
                percent of the usable square feet of the building; and
                    ``(D) for which the term of the lease, including 
                options, is in excess of 5 years.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 5 of title 40, 
United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to 
section 593 the following new item:

``594. Outlease of Federal buildings.''.
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