What This Bill Does
The bill directs the General Services Administrator (the federal official who manages government buildings) to make sure all new public buildings in the United States follow design principles for federal buildings. The bill requires the administrator to create official rules within 180 days explaining how to follow these principles.
Who It Affects
The General Services Administrator is directly responsible for carrying out this bill. Federal agencies that use public buildings and the public who visit these buildings are indirectly affected.
Key Provisions
• The General Services Administrator must ensure that the design of public buildings in the United States follows the principles described in the "Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture" report from June 1, 1962 (Sec. 2(a)(2))
• The General Services Administrator must create regulations within 180 days after the bill becomes law to put these principles into practice (Sec. 2(b)(1)(A))
• The General Services Administrator must establish minimum standards for how public buildings in the United States should be designed (Sec. 2(b)(1)(B))
• The regulations must follow federal rulemaking procedures that include public notice and opportunity for people to comment on the proposed rules (Sec. 2(b)(2))
What Changes
The law changes section 3303 of title 40 of the United States Code to require the General Services Administrator to follow specific architectural principles when designing federal buildings.
Important Definitions
The bill refers to the "Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture" from a June 1, 1962 report, but does not explain what those principles are within this bill text.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 964
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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 9, 2023
Ms. TITUS (for herself, Mr. SIMPSON, and Mr. CARTER of Georgia) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure
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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•HR 964 IH
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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•HR 964 IH
(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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