The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has
approved HR-4125, to permit the General Services Administration
to make repairs and lease space without approval of a
prospectus if the repair or lease is required as a result of
damages to buildings or property attributable to Hurricane
Katrina or Hurricane Rita.
According to the committee, while damage to some of the
dozens of federal facilities damaged by wind, rain and
flooding caused by the two hurricanes requires simple clean-up,
some buildings, especially in low-lying areas, are completely
destroyed. Under current law, GSA is restricted to short-term
emergency leases up to six months and there is no authority
for emergency alteration projects that exceed the current
prospectus threshold of $2.41 million. HR-4125 would grant
GSA emergency authority to execute leases up to five years to
replace space damaged by the hurricanes and also would allow
the agency to carry over above-threshold alteration projects
for repairs.
The authorities would be limited to one year and the measure
contains several reporting requirements designed to ensure
oversight by Congress.
