Public Buildings Act of 1981

openUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

24 February 1981

Last action

12 November 1981 · Committee

Status

Subcommittee Hearings Held.

Summary

Public Buildings Act of 1980 - Title I: General Authorities - Gives the Administrator of General Services (GSA), acting through the Public Buildings Service, sole authority to acquire, design, construct, lease, manage, maintain, repair, renovate, and assign space in public buildings. Establishes in GSA a Public Buildings Service to be headed by a Commissioner of Public Buildings. Creates the position of Supervising Architect to supervise all design activities of the Public Buildings Service. Permits the Administrator to delegate any of the aforementioned authorities to an agency head with respect to the public buildings needs of such agency. Requires the Administrator to annually report to Congress concerning activities undertaken to meet the public buildings needs of Federal agencies. Specifies lists to be included in such report. Requires the Administrator to maintain specified information in order to keep Congress fully informed. Directs the Administrator to require, prior to executing any lease or other contract which would obligate funds in excess of $10,000 authorized pursuant to this Act, a certification from the owner of the space to be leased or the contractor. Requires such certification to include statements and declarations that such owner or contractor, or any of his officers or principal employees: (1) has no business or employment relationship or interest or holding which constitutes a conflict of interest; (2) has not offered or promised anything of value to a public official with the intent to influence any official act or to induce the official to perform any act in violation of his lawful duties; (3) has not been debarred or suspended from the award of public contracts; (4) has not had a public contract terminated for default; and (5) has not been convicted, within ten years prior to the date of the solicitation, of, or is not currently under indictment for or otherwise charged with, specified offenses. Makes the Administrator responsible for the interpretation of all contracts entered into to carry out this Act. Requires the GSA to furnish to specified Congressional committees, by April 30, 1982, a survey report describing all of the steam generating units it owns or operates with a heat input rate of 50 million Btu/hour or greater. Sets forth the information such report shall contain. Repeals the Public Buildings Act of 1959. Title II: Locations for Federal Agency Offices - Requires the headquarters offices of each Federal agency to be located in the National Capital region. Requires regional, district, area, or local Federal agency offices to be centrally located or within easy transportation access of the populations they serve or other offices with which they must maintain frequent communication. Requires other Federal agency offices to be distributed throughout the country generally in proportion to the geographic distribution of the population. Sets forth criteria to be used in locating, planning for, and consolidating the public buildings needs of Federal agencies. Permits agency heads and the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to appeal locations assigned by the Administrator. Specifies that nothing in this Act shall require the relocation of any office from its present location. Title III: Design and Management of Public Buildings - Sets forth requirements for the design and maintenance of public buildings, including quality of architecture, energy efficiency, conformity with existing buildings, furnishings, and parking facilities for motor vehicles and bicycles. Requires the head of the agency concerned to: (1) submit standards assuring compliance with the minimum requirements of the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 to the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board; and (2) prescribe regulations to assure conformity with such standards. Requires that the annual plan to Congress include a schedule for making all existing public buildings conform with such standards and regulations. Authorizes the Administrator, upon the request of local and State officials, to name a public building after, and establish a memorial therein in honor of, any person who has made notable contributions to government, science, industry, education, the arts, or other fields of human endeavor. Title IV: Mixed Use and Adaptive Use in Public Buildings - Public Buildings Cooperative Use Act Amendments of 1981 - Amends the Public Buildings Cooperative Use Act of 1976 to direct the Administrator to design, construct, and lease out space for commercial, cultural, educational, and recreational activities. Sets forth conditions for space so leased. Repeals provisions requiring the Administrator to: (1) identify existing buildings of historic, architectural, or cultural significance suitable for meeting Federal public buildings needs; and (2) notify Congress of the use or nonuse of such buildings. Title V: Exhibitions and Works of Art - Federal Building Enhancement Act of 1981 - Directs the Administrator to: (1) acquire works of art by living American artists to be exhibited in Federal buildings; (2) develop exhibitions for Federal buildings that reflect the heritage or development of the United States; and (3) commission works of art by American artists for Federal buildings. Sets forth standards such works of art and exhibitions shall meet. Requires the Administrator to avoid the development of an official style in architecture or art. Authorizes the Administrator to use one-half of one percent of the sums available for the construction, repair, and acquisition of public buildings for such purposes and one-twentieth of one percent of the sums available for the lease of buildings for such purposes. Title VI: Architectural Services - Directs the Administrator to employ architects, designers, and urban planners to prepare, under the supervision of the Supervising Architect, plans for such public building projects as the Commissioner of Public Buildings may designate. Requires those architectural designs not prepared in accordance with the above to be procured in accordance with the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 and requires a design competition between at least three qualified architectural firms, with respect to at least half of the projects expected to cost more than $5,000,000. Directs the Administrator to make public the reasons for the selection made. Requires that firms participating in such competition receive no more than one-half of one percent of the expected project costs. Title VII: Leasing - Specifies that within the next ten years at least 60 percent, and within 20 years no fewer than 75 percent, of Federal employees shall have their principal offices in public buildings, with such percentage being maintained uniformly throughout the country. Prohibits the Administrator from contracting for the construction of any building other than one Government-owned except under specified circumstances. Prohibits leasing space for specified Federal functions unless necessary to meet immediate and urgent requirements. Exempts buildings leased pursuant to this Act from provisions requiring money consideration and limiting the amount of rent. Prohibits rental rates from exceeding current commercial rates for space of nearest comparable quality. Requires the Administrator to publicly solicit competitive bids to procure space by lease for the Government. Directs the Administrator to provide a copy of the lease agreement to the highest ranking official of each Federal agency in leased buildings. Title VIII: Congressional Authorization - Directs the Administrator to submit annually to Congress a program of necessary projects and actions for the coming fiscal year. Directs the Administrator: (1) to certify that public hearings have been held or the opportunity for same afforded for each major project in such report; and (2) to provide a final environmental impact statement for such projects. Prohibits the obligation of any appropriation for a public building without Congressional authorization. Requires appropriations for the cost of completion of any public building or the total cost of a lease before construction may commence or a lease entered. Authorizes appropriations to the Public Buildings Service for fiscal year 1982 with specified amounts earmarked for: (1) the construction, acquisition, or renovation of public buildings in specified localities; (2) alteration of leased buildings and lease agreements; (3) planning and preliminary design of projects; (4) real property operations; (5) program direction; and (6) other obligations. Reserves a portion of such funds for unanticipated changes and requires the submission of an explanatory statement on such changes to specified Congressional committees before such funds may be obligated. Authorizes the Administrator to increase expenditures or decrease the amount of space to be constructed, up to specified limits, if the project costs exceed the estimated maximum cost authorized . Directs the Administrator to report to specified Congressional committees. Requires Congressional approval of any other action. Title IX: Public Building Financing - Amends the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 to require rates and charges for public buildings and buildings leased on behalf of the United States to be established annually at a level approximating commercial rates, but not less than the costs of providing space and services. Authorizes the Administrator to issue obligations to the Secretary of the Treasury in order to finance the acquisition, construction, or renovation of any public building. Provides for payment of principal and interest on such obligations from the fund for real property management. Title X: Miscellaneous - Makes this Act effective October 1, 1981.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

24 February 1981
Introduced
Read second time and referred to Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Source: IntroReferral
24 February 1981
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
Source: IntroReferral
27 February 1981
Committee
Committee on Environment and Public Works. Hearings held.
Source: Committee
9 March 1981
Committee
Committee on Environment and Public Works. Hearings held.
Source: Committee
2 April 1981
Reported
Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
Source: Committee
30 April 1981
Calendars
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Regular Orders. Calendar No. 62.
Source: Calendars
30 April 1981
Reported
Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported to Senate by Senator Stafford favorably with amendments and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 97-48.
Source: Committee
30 April 1981
Reported
Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported to Senate by Senator Stafford favorably with amendments and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 97-48.
Source: Committee
6 May 1981
Floor
Considered by Senate.
Source: Floor
6 May 1981
Vote
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with amendments and an amendment to the Title by Yea-Nay Vote. 93-0. Record Vote No: 90.
Source: Floor
12 May 1981
Introduced
Referred to House Committee on Public Works and Transportation.
Source: IntroReferral
15 May 1981
Committee
Favorable Executive Comment Received From OMB.
Source: Committee
26 May 1981
Referred
Referred to Subcommittee on Public Buildings and Grounds.
Source: Committee
4 June 1981
Committee
Executive Comment Requested from Archit and Transp Barriers Compliance Bd, Nat'l Endowment for the Arts.
Source: Committee
13 August 1981
Committee
Favorable Executive Comment Received From National Endowment for the Arts.
Source: Committee
20 August 1981
Committee
Executive Comment Received From DOD.
Source: Committee
22 September 1981
Committee
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Source: Committee
29 September 1981
Committee
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Source: Committee
1 October 1981
Committee
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Source: Committee
6 October 1981
Committee
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Source: Committee
7 October 1981
Committee
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Source: Committee
14 October 1981
Committee
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Source: Committee
15 October 1981
Committee
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Source: Committee
27 October 1981
Committee
Executive Comment Received From NASA.
Source: Committee
27 October 1981
Committee
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Source: Committee
29 October 1981
Committee
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Source: Committee
12 November 1981
Committee
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Source: Committee

Votes

· Official source

Yes 0 · No 0 · Abstain — · Absent/not voting 0

Versions

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Documents

3 official files

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Passed Senate amended
summary · EN · 6 May 1981
Open at official source
Reported to Senate with amendment(s)
summary · EN · 30 April 1981
Open at official source
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Introduced in Senate
summary · EN · 24 February 1981
Open at official source
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Related records

Sources

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Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/97th-congress/senate-bill/533
Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/97/s/533
us · 97-s-533 · source updated 14 January 2025