HR-6241 would take back space if that occupancy is below 60 percent for six months within any 12-month period. Image: elisank79/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffA bill (HR-6254) calling for a GAO study of the Public Buildings Service within the GSA likely will be the first to reach a House floor vote among a package of bills approved by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee focusing on reducing unused or under-used federal office space in light of continued high rates of telework.
The bill would require a review of PBS’s personnel, including “in-person attendance and historical staffing numbers and costs,” along with its organizational structure and the building operations account of the Federal Building Fund, according to a CBO cost estimate that clears the way for a floor vote.
Other bills in that package include HR-6277, to require the Public Buildings Reform Board to submit a report to Congress on federal properties that should be sold and allow agencies to receive sale proceeds sooner; and HR-6241, to require that occupancy agreements between GSA and tenant agencies contain an annual reporting requirement that includes monthly occupancy and actual utilization rates and that the agency return space if that rate is below 60 percent for six months within any 12-month period.
Meanwhile, bills recently introduced in Congress include:
* S-3466, to have the VA report on security challenges at VA medical centers and other sites under the jurisdiction of its police, a bipartisan bill with support from federal employee unions and professional groups representing VA employees.
* HR-6886, to require federal agencies to notify individuals when they are interacting with or subject to decisions made using certain AI or other automated systems. The measure also would require agencies to establish an appeals process that will ensure there is a human review of AI-generated decisions that may negatively affect individuals. The bipartisan bill is a counterpart to one ready for a vote in the full Senate, S-1865.
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