Federal Bird Safe Buildings Act of 2021
Bill: S.791 | Sponsor: Sen. Booker, Cory A. (D-NJ)
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Federal Bird Safe Buildings Act of 2021
This bill requires the General Services Administration (GSA) to develop and implement strategies for reducing bird fatalities from collisions with public buildings.
Specifically, the GSA must incorporate relevant features and strategies into public buildings that are newly constructed, acquired, or substantially altered so as to reduce bird fatalities. The GSA must also develop a related design guide and annually certify its active use. The bill's provisions do not apply to buildings and sites on the National Register of Historic Places, the White House and its grounds, the Supreme Court building and its grounds, or the U.S. Capitol and any buildings on its grounds.

To amend title 40, United States Code, to direct the Administrator of 
General Services to incorporate practices and strategies to reduce bird 
fatalities resulting from collisions with certain public 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 ``Federal Bird Safe Buildings Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. USE OF BIRD-SAFE FEATURES, PRACTICES, AND STRATEGIES IN PUBLIC 
              BUILDINGS.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 33 of title 40, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 3319. Use of bird-safe features, practices, and strategies in 
              public buildings
    ``(a) Construction, Alteration, and Acquisition of Public 
Buildings.--The Administrator of General Services (referred to in this 
section as the `Administrator') shall incorporate, to the extent 
practicable, features, practices, and strategies to reduce bird 
fatalities resulting from collisions with public buildings for each 
public building--
            ``(1) constructed;
            ``(2) acquired; or
            ``(3) of which more than 50 percent of the facade is 
        substantially altered, as determined by the Commissioner of 
        Public Buildings.
    ``(b) Design Guide.--The Administrator shall develop a design guide 
to carry out subsection (a) that includes the following:
            ``(1) Features for reducing bird fatalities resulting from 
        collisions with public buildings throughout all construction 
        phases, taking into account the number of bird fatalities that 
        occur at different types of public buildings.
            ``(2) Methods and strategies for reducing bird fatalities 
        resulting from collisions with public buildings during the 
        operation and maintenance of those buildings, including 
        installing interior, exterior, and site lighting.
            ``(3) Best practices for reducing bird fatalities resulting 
        from collisions with public buildings, including--
                    ``(A) a description of the reasons for adopting the 
                practices; and
                    ``(B) an explanation for the omission of a best 
                practice identified under subsection (c).
    ``(c) Identifying Best Practices.--To carry out subsection (b)(3), 
the Administrator may identify best practices for reducing bird 
fatalities resulting from collisions with public buildings, including 
best practices recommended by--
            ``(1) Federal agencies with expertise in bird conservation;
            ``(2) nongovernmental organizations with expertise in bird 
        conservation; and
            ``(3) representatives of green building certification 
        systems.
    ``(d) Dissemination of Design Guide.--The Administrator shall 
disseminate the design guide developed under subsection (b) to all 
Federal agencies, subagencies, and departments with independent leasing 
authority from the Administrator.
    ``(e) Update to Design Guide.--The Administrator shall, on a 
regular basis, update the design guide developed under subsection (b) 
with respect to the priorities of the Administrator for reducing bird 
fatalities resulting from collisions with public buildings.
    ``(f) Exempt Buildings.--This section shall not apply to--
            ``(1) any building or site listed, or eligible for listing, 
        on the National Register of Historic Places;
            ``(2) the White House and the grounds of the White House;
            ``(3) the Supreme Court building and the grounds of the 
        Supreme Court; or
            ``(4) the United States Capitol and any building on the 
        grounds of the Capitol.
    ``(g) Certification.--Not later than October 1 of each fiscal year, 
the Administrator, acting through the Commissioner of Public Buildings, 
shall certify to Congress that the Administrator uses the design guide 
developed under subsection (b) for each public building described in 
subsection (a).
    ``(h) Report.--Not later than October 1 of each fiscal year, the 
Administrator shall submit to Congress a report that includes--
            ``(1) the certification under subsection (g); and
            ``(2) to the extent practicable, the number of bird 
        fatalities that occurred as a result of a collision with the 
        public buildings occupied by each Federal agency.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 33 of 
title 40, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``3319. Use of bird-safe features, practices, and strategies in public 
                            buildings.''.
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