Eliminate Agency Excess Space Act
Bill: H.R.1254 | Sponsor: Rep. Murphy, Gregory (R-NC)
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Eliminate Agency Excess Space Act
This bill modifies requirements with respect to the disposal of surplus and excess property by federal agencies.
Among other things, the bill repeals provisions that require federal agencies to report excess property to the General Services Administration (GSA). Additionally, the GSA must issue regulations that allow federal agencies to dispose of surplus and excess property without first making the property available to other agencies or state or local governments.
The bill also requires the GSA to survey all unused or underutilized office spaces held by federal agencies, make recommendations to reduce agency real estate assets, and report on costs associated with property disposal.

To amend title 40, United States Code, to modify certain requirements 
 for Federal agencies in the disposition of surplus real property, 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 ``Eliminate Agency Excess Space Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) Under the status quo, empty Federal agency office 
        buildings cannot be sold by agencies that want to be efficient. 
        Instead, each agency must let their vacant office spaces remain 
        a purposeless and excessive cost on their balance sheets.
            (2) According to a 2017 Congressional Research Service 
        report, in fiscal year 2016, U.S. Federal agencies owned 3,120 
        buildings that were vacant or unutilized and owned another 
        7,859 buildings that were partially empty or underutilized.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) Federal agencies should not be limited when placing 
        unused or underused office space on the market for sale; and
            (2) Federal agencies should be able to sell their unused 
        offices to provide for greater fiscal responsibility and better 
        stewardship of taxpayer dollars.

SEC. 3. REMOVAL OF GSA VERIFICATION REQUIREMENT.

    (a) In General.--Section 524 of title 40, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) by striking subsection (a);
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1) by striking the semicolon and 
                inserting ``; and'';
                    (B) by striking paragraph (2); and
                    (C) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph 
                (2); and
            (3) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as subsections 
        (a) and (b), respectively.
    (b) Procedure for Disposal.--Section 545 of title 40, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (7) by striking the semicolon and 
                inserting ``; or'';
                    (B) by striking paragraph (8); and
                    (C) by redesignating paragraph (9) as paragraph 
                (8); and
            (2) in subsection (d)--
                    (A) by striking ``Negotiated Sale at Fixed Price'' 
                and all that follows through ``The Administrator may'' 
                and inserting ``Negotiated Sale at Fixed Price.--The 
                Administrator may''; and
                    (B) by striking paragraph (2).
    (c) Real Property.--Chapter 5 of title 40, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 574 the following new section:
``Sec. 575. Proceeds from sale of certain agency property
    ``Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, proceeds 
from the sale of excess property or surplus property by an agency 
pursuant to section 102-75.255 of title 41, Code of Federal 
Regulations, shall be deposited into the General Fund of the Treasury 
where such amounts shall be--
            ``(1) dedicated to the sole purpose of deficit reduction; 
        and
            ``(2) prohibited from use as an offset for other spending 
        increases or revenue reductions.''.
    (d) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 5 of title 40, 
United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to 
section 574 the following new item:

``575. Proceeds from sale of certain agency property.''.
    (e) Regulations.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of General Services shall 
issue such regulations as are necessary to update section 102-75.255 of 
title 41, Code of Federal Regulations, to authorize executive agencies 
to dispose of surplus property and excess property without making the 
property available to other executive agencies or State and local 
governments before such disposal.
    (f) Definitions.--In this section, the terms ``excess property'', 
``executive agency'', and ``surplus property'' have the meaning given 
such terms in section 102 of title 40, United States Code.

SEC. 4. GSA REPORTS.

    (a) Review.--Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, and every 5 years thereafter, the Administrator of General 
Services, in coordination with the Congressional Research Service, 
shall submit to Congress a report containing the information described 
in subsection (b).
    (b) Contents of Report.--The report required under subsection (a) 
shall contain the following:
            (1) A survey of all unused or vacant office space held by 
        each executive agency and recommendations for reducing each 
        agency's real property assets, selling such assets in an 
        efficient manner, and addressing any potential safety hazards 
        associated with vacant office space.
            (2) A survey of all the underutilized or partially empty 
        agency office space held by each executive agency and 
        recommendations for reducing each agency's real property 
        assets, selling such assets in an efficient manner, and 
        addressing any potential safety hazards associated with 
        partially empty office space.
            (3) For each excess property and surplus property disposed 
        of by an executive agency, an indication of--
                    (A) the date and method of disposal; and
                    (B) the proceeds obtained from the disposition of 
                such disposal.
            (4) For all excess property and surplus property disposed 
        of by all executive agencies, an indication of
                    (A) the amount of time required to fully dispose of 
                excess property and surplus property under the custody 
                and control of all executive agencies; and
                    (B) the cost to dispose of excess property and 
                surplus property under the custody and control of all 
                executive agencies.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section, the terms ``excess property'', 
``executive agency'', and ``surplus property'' have the meaning given 
such terms in section 102 of title 40, United States Code.
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