Federal Real Property Asset Management Reform Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-1398
Sponsor: Sen. Carper, Thomas R. [D-DE]
Introduced: 2013-07-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Executive agency funding and structure
Government buildings, facilities, and property
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government information and archives
Homelessness and emergency shelter
Housing and community development funding
Performance measurement
Postal service
Public-private cooperation
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations

Summary:
action_date: 2013-07-30
text: 
Federal Real Property Asset Management Reform Act of 2013 - States that the purpose of this Act is to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the federal government in managing real property by: (1) requiring federal agencies to maintain an up-to-date inventory of real property, (2) establishing a Federal Real Property Council to develop guidance on and ensure the implementation of strategies for better managing federal real property, and (3) authorizing a pilot program to expedite the disposal of surplus real property. 
 
Requires each federal agency to: (1) maintain adequate inventory controls and accountability systems for real property under its control, (2) develop current and future workforce projections to assess the need of the federal workforce regarding the use of real property, (3) continuously survey real property under its control to identify excess and underutilized property and other real property suitable for colocation or consolidation with other agencies and facilities, (4) establish goals to reduce excess and underutilized federal property, (5) assess leased space to identify space that is not fully used or occupied, and (6) conduct an inventory and make an assessment of real property under its control.
 
Requires the Postmaster General to annually identify a list of postal properties with space available for use by federal agencies. 
 
Establishes a Federal Real Property Council to: (1) develop guidance and ensure implementation of an efficient and effective real property management strategy, (2) identify opportunities to better manage real property assets, and (3) reduce the costs of managing real property. Requires agencies with independent leasing authority to submit to the Council a list of all their leases, including operating leases.
 
Requires the Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA) to establish and maintain a single, comprehensive, and descriptive database of real property under the custody and control of all federal agencies
 
Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to establish a pilot program to dispose of, by sale, transfer, or other means of disposal, any surplus property. Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to report on such pilot program.
 
Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to make grants to private nonprofit organizations to purchase real property to assist the homeless.

action_date: 2013-11-19
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

 
Federal Real Property Asset Management Reform Act of 2013 - Defines for purposes of this Act:
 
 
"excess property" as any real property under the control of a federal agency that the agency head determines is not required to meet the needs or responsibilities of the agency; 
 
"surplus property" as excess real property that is not required to meet the needs or responsibilities of any agency, other than: (1) any military installation; (2) property exempt under public building and property law, including the public domain, land reserved or dedicated for national forest or park purposes, minerals in land, naval vessels, and records of the government; (3) Indian and native Eskimo property held in trust by the federal government; (4) real property operated and maintained by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA); (5) any real property the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) excludes for reasons of national security; (6) public lands administered by the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior; and (7) any property operated and maintained by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS); and 
 
"underutilized property" as a portion or the entirety of any real property, including improvements, that is used irregularly or intermittently by the accountable agency for program purposes or that is used for program purposes that can be satisfied only with a portion of the property. 

 
Requires each federal agency to: 
 
 
maintain adequate inventory controls and accountability systems for real property under agency control; 
 
develop current and future workforce projections to assess the needs of the federal workforce regarding the use of real property; 
 
continuously survey real property to identify excess property, underutilized property, and other real property suitable for colocation or consolidation with other federal agencies and facilities; 
 
promptly report excess property and underutilized property to the Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA); 
 
establish goals to reduce excess property and underutilized property; 
 
submit to the Federal Real Property Council (Council), established by this Act, a report on all excess property and underutilized property in the agency inventory; 
 
adopt workplace practices, configurations, and management techniques to increase productivity and decrease the need for federal real property assets; 
 
identify leased space that is not fully used or occupied; 
 
conduct an annual inventory of real property under agency control and make an assessment of such property using specified criteria; and 
 
provide to the Council and the GSA Administrator information used to establish and maintain the database of federal real property assets established by this Act. 

 
Authorizes the Postmaster General to identify annually a list of postal property with space available for use by federal agencies and submit such list to the Council. Requires the Council to provide such list to each federal agency.
 
Establishes a Federal Real Property Council to: (1) develop guidance and ensure implementation of an efficient and effective real property management strategy, (2) identify opportunities to better manage real property assets, and (3) reduce the costs of managing real property. Requires the Council to: (1) establish a real property management plan template, updated annually, to reduce surplus property; (2) develop standard use rates and a strategy to reduce reliance of agencies on leased space; (3) provide guidance on eliminating inefficiencies in the leasing process; (4) compile a list of field offices that are suitable for colocation with other federal real property; and (5) report to the OMB Director on a list of remaining excess, surplus, and underutilized property in each agency and on the progress of the Council and agencies in meeting the objectives of this Act. 
 
Requires the GSA Administrator to establish and maintain a single, comprehensive, and descriptive database of real property under the custody and control of all federal agencies.
 
Requires agencies with independent leasing authority to submit to the Council a list of all agency leases, including operating leases, with specified information including the expiration dates of such leases and the annual rental rates.
 
Requires the OMB Director to establish a pilot program to dispose of, by sale, transfer, or other means of disposal, any surplus property. Authorizes the Director to authorize the disposal of not more than 200 surplus properties.
 
Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to make grants to private nonprofit organizations to purchase real property to assist the homeless.
 
Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to submit a draft and a final report on the expedited disposal pilot program established by this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-11-19
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 249.
action_date: 2013-11-19
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Carper without amendment. With written report No. 113-122.
action_date: 2013-11-19
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Carper without amendment. With written report No. 113-122.
action_date: 2013-07-31
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2013-07-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2013-07-30
text: Introduced in Senate