OUR Public Buildings Act

Bill: 117-hr-7714
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1]
Introduced: 2022-05-10
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Latest action: action_date: 2022-05-12
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H4901)

Summaries:
action_date: 2022-05-10
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Outlease Reform in Public Buildings Act or the OUR Public Buildings Act</strong></p> <p>This bill establishes requirements for outleasing certain federal buildings.</p> <p>Specifically, the General Services Administration (GSA) must develop and require the use of standard clauses to use in any outlease agreement that</p> <ul> <li>is for a public building that is at least 150,000 gross square feet; </li> <li> is entered into by the GSA and a private entity; </li> <li> for which the leased space totals at least 51% of the usable square feet of the building; and </li> <li> for which the term of the lease, including options, is in excess of five years. </li> </ul> <p>Any such agreement must require the lessee to submit a form disclosing any foreign ownership interest in the outlease.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <ul> <ul> </ul> </ul> <ul> </ul>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7714 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 10, 2022 Ms. Titus (for herself and Mr. DeFazio ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure , and in addition to the Committee on Rules , for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To amend title 40, United States Code, to establish requirements for outleasing certain Federal buildings, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Outlease Reform in Public Buildings Act or the OUR Public Buildings Act . 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: 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. .