Findings

Congress finds that— (1) according to a 2023 review of Federal agencies by the Government Accountability Office— (A) 17 Federal agencies used on average an estimated 25 percent or less of the capacity of their headquarters buildings; and (B) 1 Federal agency headquarters examined would only occupy 67 percent of the office space of the Federal agency if 100 percent of the employees of the Federal agency worked in-person; (2) according to a 2024 report by the Public Buildings Reform Board established by section 4(a) of the Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act of 2016 (40 U.S.C. 1303 note; Public Law 114–287)— (A) in the National Capital Region, the Federal Government owns or leases almost 90,000,000 square feet of property; (B) a sample of Federal properties in Washington, D.C., maintained only 12 percent capacity on average; (C) billions of dollars are being expended on buildings that should be disposed of given the new normal of low occupancy; and (D) some Federal agencies have developed cultural expectations that they should retain a flagship property despite significant under usage of that property; and (3) according to a 2023 report by the Office of Audits of the Office of Inspector General of the General Services Administration— (A) Federal Government buildings can pose significant health risks if they remain underutilized; and (B) since July 2023, elevated levels of Legionella, which is a bacterium that can cause serious infection and death, were found in six GSA-controlled buildings, all of which are open to the public.