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Federal Real Estate Management Reform Legislation Introduced

Washington, D.C., June 22, 2018 | Justin Harclerode (202) 225-9446
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Legislation that reforms how the federal government manages its real estate portfolio to potentially save billions of taxpayer dollars was introduced in the House of Representatives today.

H.R. 6194, the Real Estate Assets and Leasing (REAL) Reform Act of 2018, is sponsored by Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Chairman Lou Barletta (R-PA).

The bill reforms the General Services Administration’s (GSA) management of federal real estate assets and provides the civilian federal government landlord agency with the necessary tools to negotiate the best lease deals possible on behalf of the American taxpayers.  Enabling the agency to better facilitate consolidations, reduce space, and take advantage of the current buyer’s market has the potential to save billions of dollars.  The bill also strengthens oversight of federal construction projects, and ensures that such projects remain on or under budget.

The REAL Reform Act also improves public building security by establishing more accountability and oversight of the Federal Protective Service (FPS). 

“In my role as subcommittee chairman, I’ve been focused on reducing the federal footprint by consolidating space and improving space utilization, and I’m proud to say that through these efforts, we have already saved taxpayers $3.7 billion, but there is more work to be done,” Barletta said.  “The REAL Reform Act builds on this progress by allowing the government to negotiate better rental rates and concessions, which ultimately means more savings for the taxpayer.  I thank Chairman Shuster for his constant support on this important issue, and look forward to continuing our work to make Washington work for the people of Pennsylvania and the rest of the Nation.”

“Chairman Barletta’s work on this subcommittee has already led to billions of dollars in taxpayer savings through more cost-effective, responsible management of federal real estate, and the REAL Reform Act provides opportunities to save billions of dollars more,” said Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA).  “Cutting the red tape that prevents the federal government from getting the best deals possible for housing federal agencies and reducing unnecessary and underutilized federal space is simply smarter government, and I commend Chairman Barletta for introducing this legislation.”

REAL Reform Act provisions:

  • Establish a Streamlined Leasing Pilot Program to reduce the administrative red tape on most GSA leases and allow for and encourage space consolidations. With a significant amount of GSA’s leased inventory expiring in the next few years, providing GSA with authorities to act expeditiously and take advantage of the current opportunity, while rental rates remain below their peaks in key markets, will result in significant taxpayer savings.
  • Clarify congressional oversight of property exchanges, ensure federal construction projects remain within or under budget, and set clear timeframes on authorized projects. Ensuring that acquisition and construction of new federal space is effectively overseen and managed is critical to ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent appropriately.
  • Clarify protection authorities related to federal buildings and improve accountability and oversight of the use of such authorities. Public Buildings have been proven targets of those wishing to do the Nation harm, increasing the need to ensure personnel responsible for protecting public buildings are appropriately trained, managed, and accountable.

    Click here for more information about the Real Estate Assets and Leasing (REAL) Reform Act of 2018.  Click here to read the legislative text.

     

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