What This Bill Does
This bill requires the General Services Administrator (the federal official who manages government buildings) to make sure that all new public buildings in the United States follow specific design principles for federal architecture. The bill also directs the General Services Administrator to create rules and minimum standards for how these public buildings should be designed.
Who It Affects
The General Services Administrator (the federal official responsible for managing government buildings)
Key Provisions
• The General Services Administrator must ensure that public building designs follow the principles from a report called "Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture" published on June 1, 1962 (Sec. 2(a)(2))
• The General Services Administrator must create new regulations within 180 days of the bill becoming law (Sec. 2(b)(1))
• These new regulations must establish minimum standards for designing public buildings in the United States (Sec. 2(b)(1)(B))
• The regulations must follow a public notice and comment process, which means the public gets to read and respond to the proposed regulations before they become final (Sec. 2(b)(2))
What Changes
If this bill becomes law, the General Services Administrator will be legally required to follow the 1962 design principles when designing federal buildings. The administrator will also need to write new rules explaining the minimum standards for federal building design and give the public a chance to comment on those rules.
Important Definitions
None defined in bill text
Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
II
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 366
To direct the Administrator of General Services to ensure that the design
of public buildings in the United States adheres to the guiding principles
for Federal architecture, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
FEBRUARY 9, 2023
Mr. VAN HOLLEN (for himself and Mr. LUJA´N) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and
Public Works
A BILL
To direct the Administrator of General Services to ensure
that the design of public buildings in the United States
adheres to the guiding principles for Federal architec-
ture, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Democracy in Design
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Act’’.
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•S 366 IS
SEC. 2. CONTINUING INVESTIGATION AND SURVEY OF PUB-
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LIC BUILDINGS.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3303 of title 40, United
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States Code, is amended—
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(1) in subsection (a), in the matter preceding
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paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘(referred to in this sec-
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tion as the ‘Administrator’)’’ after ‘‘Services’’; and
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(2) by adding at the end the following:
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‘‘(e) GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR FEDERAL ARCHITEC-
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TURE.—The Administrator shall ensure that the design of
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public buildings in the United States adheres to the prin-
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ciples described in the report published by the Ad Hoc
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Committee on Federal Office Space entitled ‘Guiding
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Principles for Federal Architecture’ and dated June 1,
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1962.’’.
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(b) RULEMAKING.—
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(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days
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after the date of enactment of this Act, the Adminis-
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trator of General Services shall promulgate such reg-
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ulations as are necessary—
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(A) to implement the amendment made by
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subsection (a)(2); and
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(B) to establish minimum standards by
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which the Administrator of General Services
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shall design public buildings in the United
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States.
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•S 366 IS
(2) NOTICE AND COMMENT.—The regulations
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required under paragraph (1) shall be issued after
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notice and an opportunity for public comment in ac-
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cordance with the procedure applicable to sub-
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stantive rules under section 553 of title 5, United
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States Code.
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Æ
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