Title: MORE Makerspaces Act
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Move Ownership and Responsibility to Encourage Makerspaces Act of 2017 or the MORE Makerspaces Act
This bill amends the Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act of 2016 to require federal agencies to submit recommendations to the General Services Administration and the Office of Management and Budget on federal civilian real properties that have sufficient square footage, technological capabilities, and community accessibility for use as makerspaces.
The bill defines "makerspace" as a community space that: (1) provides access to tools, technology, and knowledge for learners and entrepreneurs; (2) results in the prototyping or creation of physical goods; and (3) supports the development of educational opportunities for personal growth, workforce training, and early stage business ventures.
The Public Buildings Reform Board shall: (1) establish a review process through which federal agencies may lease or sell an abandoned or unused federal civilian real property for use as a makerspace; (2) establish an online public campaign to inform local municipalities of such process; and (3) when such a property is identified through such process, notify the Member of Congress in whose district such property is located so that such Member can inform the local municipality and community of the opportunity to use such property as a makerspace.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2969 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2969

To amend the Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act of 2016 to allow the 
    Federal Government to lease or sell abandoned or unused Federal 
    civilian real properties for use as makerspaces, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 20, 2017

  Mr. Takano (for himself and Mr. Schneider) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 
                             Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act of 2016 to allow the 
    Federal Government to lease or sell abandoned or unused Federal 
    civilian real properties for use as makerspaces, 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 ``Move Ownership and Responsibility to 
Encourage Makerspaces Act of 2017'' or the ``MORE Makerspaces Act''.

SEC. 2. USE OF ABANDONED OR UNUSED FEDERAL CIVILIAN REAL PROPERTIES AS 
              MAKERSPACES.

    (a) In General.--The Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act of 2016 
(Public Law 114-287; 40 U.S.C. 1303 note) is amended--
            (1) in section 2--
                    (A) in paragraph (9), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in paragraph (10), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(11) assisting Federal agencies in leasing or selling 
        abandoned or unused Federal civilian real properties for use as 
        makerspaces.'';
            (2) in section 3, by adding at the end the following new 
        paragraph:
            ``(10) Makerspace.--The term `makerspace' means a community 
        space that--
                    ``(A) provides access to tools, technology, and 
                knowledge for learners and entrepreneurs;
                    ``(B) results in the prototyping or creation of 
                physical goods; and
                    ``(C) supports the development of educational 
                opportunities for personal growth, workforce training, 
                and early stage business ventures.'';
            (3) in section 11(a)(2), by adding at the end the following 
        new subparagraph:
                    ``(D) Federal civilian real properties that have 
                sufficient square footage, technological capabilities, 
                and community accessibility for use as makerspaces.''; 
                and
            (4) by adding at the end the following new section:

``SEC. 26. REVIEW PROCESS FOR MAKERSPACES.

    ``(a) Review Process.--The Board shall establish a review process 
through which a Federal agency may lease or sell an abandoned or unused 
Federal civilian real property for use as a makerspace.
    ``(b) Outreach Campaign.--The Board shall establish an online 
public campaign to inform local municipalities of the review process 
established under subsection (a).
    ``(c) Notification to Members of Congress.--With respect to each 
abandoned or unused Federal civilian real property identified through 
the review process established under subsection (a), the Board shall 
notify the Member of Congress in whose district the property is located 
so that the Member can inform the local municipality and community of 
the opportunity to use such property as a makerspace. Each such 
notification shall include the name of the location, address, and 
square footage of the property and a brief explanation of the 
opportunity to use such property as a makerspace.
    ``(d) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the 
enactment of the Move Ownership and Responsibility to Encourage 
Makerspaces Act of 2017, and annually thereafter, the Board shall 
publicly post online a report that includes the following:
            ``(1) The total number and locations of abandoned or unused 
        Federal civilian real properties identified through the review 
        process established under subsection (a) during the one-year 
        period preceding the date on which the report is posted.
            ``(2) Brief descriptions of each Federal civilian real 
        property used as a makerspace during the one-year period 
        preceding the date on which the report is posted, including the 
        amount of community participation in the development of the 
        makerspace, the technologies and innovation developed in the 
        makerspace, and any other information that the Board considers 
        appropriate.
            ``(3) Recommendations to improve the review process 
        established under subsection (a).''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for such Act is 
amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``Sec. 26. Review process for makerspaces.''.
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