Public Buildings Savings and Reform Act of 2013
Latest action. Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 493.
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)
Public Buildings Savings and Reform Act of 2013 - Sets forth new requirements for the purchase or lease of federal office space, for limiting rental costs for such space, and for suspending the construction of new courthouses.
(Sec. 2) Requires any prospectus that proposes new federal office space in FY2014-FY2017, whether leased or owned, to contain information outlining the details of the elimination of at least a corresponding amount of space. Prohibits the Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA) from increasing the size or amount of GSA's real property inventory as compared to the FY2012 real property baseline, except for space offsets specifically identified or for emergency or national security purposes determined by the President.
(Sec. 3) Prohibits the Administrator from leasing space at an amount below the average annual rental rate thresholds that exceeds the maximum rental rate established for the respective geographical location, unless notification is given to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (Committees) in writing at least 10 days before the execution of such lease. Requires the Administrator, not less than 30 days before entering into any lease-construction agreement, to notify the Committees of the intent to enter into such an agreement.
(Sec. 4) Requires the Administrator to submit a list to the Committees of all leases, including lease-construction agreements, entered into by GSA for the previous fiscal year, with information on the size of the space, location, and annual rental rates.
(Sec. 5) Requires the Administrator to include in the prospectus submitted to Congress for a proposed federal building a justification for the space requested.
(Sec. 6) Prohibits the Administrator from beginning construction of any new courthouse if: (1) construction has not begun on or before the date of enactment of this Act, and (2) the design and construction of the new courthouse fails to comply with specified courtroom sharing requirements.
The summary continues for 10 more paragraphs. Read it in full on Congress.gov
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Reported to House without amendment" stage on December 11, 2014. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on December 11, 2014: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 493.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 113th Congress (2013-14), 296 of the 9,091 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 3.3 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Lou Barletta (R-PA) introduced it on July 8, 2013, and 4 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 2 Democrats, 2 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on July 8, 2013, 4812 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 4291 days ago, on December 11, 2014.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 113th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2015 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers