Federal Government Decentralization Commission Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1701 To establish a commission to study the relocation of select executive agencies or divisions of such agencies outside the Washington metropolitan area, to make recommendations to Congress on appropriate findings, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 12, 2019 Mr. RYAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Transpor- tation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with- in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To establish a commission to study the relocation of select executive agencies or divisions of such agencies outside the Washington metropolitan area, to make recommenda- tions to Congress on appropriate findings, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Federal Government 4 Decentralization Commission Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:24 Mar 27, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1701.IH H1701 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 1701 IH SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT. 1 There is established in the General Services Adminis- 2 tration a commission to be known as the ‘‘Federal Govern- 3 ment Decentralization Commission’’ (in this Act referred 4 to as the ‘‘Commission’’). 5 SEC. 3. DUTIES OF COMMISSION. 6 The Commission shall— 7 (1) study the relocation of executive agencies or 8 divisions of executive agencies outside the Wash- 9 ington metropolitan area; and 10 (2) submit to Congress a plan for the relocation 11 of recommended agencies or divisions. 12 SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP. 13 (a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Commission 14 shall be composed of the Administrator of General Serv- 15 ices (or a designee) and 10 other members, appointed as 16 follows: 17 (1) Two members shall be appointed by the ma- 18 jority leader of the Senate. 19 (2) Two members shall be appointed by the 20 Speaker of the House of Representatives. 21 (3) Two members shall be appointed by the mi- 22 nority leader of the Senate. 23 (4) Two members shall be appointed by the mi- 24 nority leader of the House of Representatives. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:24 Mar 27, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1701.IH H1701 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 1701 IH (5) Two members shall be appointed by the Ad- 1 ministrator of the General Service Administration. 2 (b) DEADLINE FOR INITIAL APPOINTMENT.—The 3 initial members of the Commission shall be appointed not 4 later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this 5 Act. 6 (c) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in the Commission— 7 (1) shall not affect the powers of the Commis- 8 sion; and 9 (2) shall be filled in the same manner as the 10 original appointment was made. 11 (d) COMPENSATION.—Each member of the Commis- 12 sion shall serve without pay. 13 (e) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Each member of the Com- 14 mission shall be allowed a per diem allowance for travel 15 expenses, at rates consistent with those authorized under 16 subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code. 17 (f) CHAIRPERSON.—The Chairperson of the Commis- 18 sion shall be the Administrator of General Services (or a 19 designee). 20 SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT AND STAFF PROVIDED 21 BY THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRA- 22 TION. 23 Administrative and support staff for the Commission 24 shall be provided by the General Services Administration. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:24 Mar 27, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1701.IH H1701 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HR 1701 IH SEC. 6. SUBMISSION OF PLAN TO CONGRESS. 1 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the 2 date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall 3 develop and submit to Congress a plan for the relocation 4 of executive agencies or divisions of executive agencies out- 5 side the Washington metropolitan area. 6 (b) REQUIREMENTS FOR PLAN.—The plan shall in- 7 clude the following: 8 (1) An identification of new locations for execu- 9 tive agencies or divisions of executive agencies out- 10 side the Washington metropolitan area, which shall 11 be prioritized— 12 (A) by relocation to a low-income commu- 13 nity; or 14 (B) by relocation to areas with expertise in 15 the mission and goal of the executive agency or 16 division. 17 (2) A consideration of national security implica- 18 tions of the relocation. 19 (3) An economic and workforce development 20 study on how the relocation of an executive agency 21 or division would impact the new location. 22 (4) A list of potential site acquisitions and par- 23 tial prospectus for executive agencies or divisions of 24 executive agencies, which shall include— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:24 Mar 27, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1701.IH H1701 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 5 •HR 1701 IH (A) a brief description of the building to be 1 constructed, altered, or leased; 2 (B) the location of the building; and 3 (C) an estimate of the maximum cost of 4 the acquisition and the relocation. 5 SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 6 In this Act: 7 (1) EXECUTIVE AGENCY.—The term ‘‘executive 8 agency’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘Executive 9 agency’’ in section 105 of title 5, United States 10 Code, except that the term does not include the Ex- 11 ecutive Office of the President. 12 (2) LOW-INCOME COMMUNITY.—The term ‘‘low- 13 income community’’ has the meaning given that 14 term in section 45D(e) of the Internal Revenue Code 15 of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 45D(e)). 16 (3) WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA.—The 17 term ‘‘Washington metropolitan area’’ means the ge- 18 ographic area located within the boundaries of— 19 (A) the District of Columbia; 20 (B) Montgomery and Prince George’s 21 Counties in the State of Maryland; and 22 (C) Arlington, Fairfax, Loudon, and 23 Prince William Counties and the City of Alex- 24 andria in the Commonwealth of Virginia. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:24 Mar 27, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1701.IH H1701 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 6 •HR 1701 IH SEC. 8. TERMINATION. 1 The Commission shall terminate 30 days after the 2 submission of the plan under section 6. 3 SEC. 9. FUNDING. 4 No new appropriations may be obligated to carry out 5 this Act. 6 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:24 Mar 27, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H1701.IH H1701 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS