October 28, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 170 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages H8488-H8489]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         TRANSPARENCY IN FEDERAL BUILDINGS PROJECTS ACT OF 2019

  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2502) to amend title 40, United States Code, to require 
certain prospectuses for public buildings to be made publicly 
available, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2502

       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 ``Transparency in Federal 
     Buildings Projects Act of 2019''.

     SEC. 2. PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF BUILDING PROJECT INFORMATION.

       (a) In General.--Chapter 33 of title 40, United States 
     Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
     section:

     ``SEC. 3318. AVAILABILITY OF FEDERAL BUILDING PROJECT 
                   INFORMATION.

       ``(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
     of enactment of this section, and, at a minimum, on a 
     quarterly basis thereafter, the Administrator shall make 
     publicly available on a subpage of the website of the General 
     Services Administration all prospectuses submitted pursuant 
     to sections 3307 and 3316, and associated information subject 
     to the following requirements:
       ``(1) The Administrator shall maintain such information in 
     an easily accessible and readable, organized, downloadable, 
     and searchable format.
       ``(2) The Administrator shall ensure the information is 
     current and prospectuses and associated information updated 
     on a regular basis.
       ``(3) The information required under this section shall be 
     inclusive for a period of not less than 10 years.
       ``(4) The information shall include--
       ``(A) the last date on which the relevant webpage was 
     updated;
       ``(B) approval dates of respective authorizing resolutions 
     by each committee of jurisdiction, if applicable;
       ``(C) copies of respective committee of jurisdiction 
     resolutions authorizing such prospectuses, as appropriate;
       ``(D) cross-references to any resubmitted or amended 
     prospectuses and associated resolutions; and
       ``(E) such other information as determined by the 
     Administrator.
       ``(b) Definitions.--In this section, the following 
     definitions apply:
       ``(1) Prospectus.--The term `prospectus' means 
     prospectuses, building surveys, and factsheets submitted to 
     the committees of jurisdiction pursuant to sections 3307 and 
     3316.
       ``(2) Committees of jurisdiction.--The term `committees of 
     jurisdiction' means the Committee on Transportation and 
     Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the 
     Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate.
       ``(3) Associated information.--The term `associated 
     information' means resolutions approved by the committees of 
     jurisdiction and other information as required pursuant to 
     subsection (a).''.
       (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of chapters for 
     chapter 33 of title 40, United States Code, is amended by 
     adding at the end the following:

``3318. Availability of Federal building project information.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Oregon (Mr. DeFazio) and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. 
Meadows) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oregon.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2502.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Oregon?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in strong support of H.R. 2502, the Transparency in Federal 
Buildings Projects Act of 2019, introduced by the gentleman from 
Alabama (Mr. Palmer).
  It is simple, but it is important. It is also common sense and 
contributes to government transparency.
  Mr. Speaker, you know that the Federal Government through the GSA is

[[Page H8489]]

the largest lessor or owner of commercial office space in the United 
States of America.
  The program can use some improvement, and this will help shine a 
light on some of the issues and concerns we have as we look for some 
reforms in the way we acquire property in the most cost-effective 
manner for the American taxpayer. Sometimes GSA does things that make 
little or no sense when they get into lease agreements, like they did 
with the Department of Transportation, a beautiful new building. We are 
now going to buy the building for the second time, essentially, by 
having paid for the lease for a number of years. These things can be 
done more effectively and more efficiently, and this legislation will 
help set a path to that kind of cost savings.
  It requires the General Services Administration to publish on its 
website all prospectuses for leasing, design, or construction activity; 
update the information quarterly, and maintain the information for no 
less than 10 years in a readable, accessible, and--this is key--a 
searchable form, not just post it and it is like, oh, sorry, there is 
no index. It has to be searchable.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a good-government bill designed to provide 
taxpayers with information regarding the GSA's leasing, design, and 
construction projects for Federal agencies.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2502, the Transparency in 
Federal Buildings Projects Act. As the chairman just mentioned, it is a 
commonsense piece of legislation.
  I would like to thank the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Palmer) for his 
leadership on this bill. I am pleased that I am actually a cosponsor of 
this particular legislation.
  H.R. 2502 does provide for greater transparency to the taxpayers on 
the public buildings projects and leases. It actually would require the 
General Services Administration, or what we refer to as GSA, to include 
on its websites all project proposals and associated information and 
submit that to Congress under the Public Buildings Act for approval.
  This is a simple action, but it can have a significant impact on 
improving the accountability and transparency that all American 
taxpayers yearn for.
  While GSA includes some information on its website, that information 
provided is somewhat limited. This bill would ensure that taxpayers 
know what projects have been proposed, how much they will cost, and 
which have been actually approved.
  In 2013 the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure began 
filling this void by posting this information on its website. Since 
that time the committee's website has become a critical resource not 
only for the public and private sector but also for Federal agencies. 
However, to ensure the continuity and that this information continues 
to be regularly updated and maintained, this bill would place that 
responsibility on GSA.

                              {time}  1615

  As I mentioned, this is a commonsense, straightforward bill. I thank 
Chairman DeFazio and Ranking Member Graves for their willingness to 
address efficient and effective government agency.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this 
legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume the 
gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Palmer), the sponsor of this particular 
piece of legislation.
  Mr. PALMER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. 
Graves), the ranking member, and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. 
Meadows) for their work on the issue, and Chairman DeFazio for his 
support.
  The General Services Administration is required to submit to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and to the Senate 
Committee on Environment and Public Works prospectuses that contain 
information on proposed public projects for committee consideration.
  In recent years, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 
as has been mentioned, has posted this information about these projects 
on its website to provide access to the public and private entities. 
While the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has become a 
resource for the public, and even for Federal agencies, this bill, the 
Transparency in Federal Buildings Projects Act, would require the GSA 
to make publicly available on its website all prospectuses and 
associated information, pursuant to the Public Buildings Act.
  This sensible reform will ensure that taxpayers have more information 
about how their hard-earned dollars are being spent and managed. The 
bill would strengthen transparency and accountability in Federal 
construction, renovation, and leasing projects, and I urge my 
colleagues to support it.
  Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I am assuming 
that the gentleman opposite is. As we close, I thank the chairman once 
again for his support, and I thank the sponsor of this particular bill.
  We do believe that GSA, in posting this information in a searchable 
fashion, will provide for a more open and transparent government.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support that, and I yield back 
the balance of my time
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, again, I congratulate the gentleman from 
Alabama (Mr. Palmer) for proposing this new transparency legislation. I 
am certain, in the end, it is ultimately going to save the taxpayers 
money and lead to GSA, perhaps, performing in a more efficient manner.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2502.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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