FEDERALhearing transcript

Hearing on Federal Agency Leasing Oversight

Original title: INDEPENDENT LEASING AUTHORITIES: INCREASING OVERSIGHT AND REDUCING COSTS OF SPACE LEASED BY FEDERAL AGENCIES

January 1, 2017

federal real estate government spending leasing oversight GSA government efficiency

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The Frame

What this does

The committee estimates that improved lease negotiations could save taxpayers $500 million annually, and this hearing explores extending oversight to agencies currently exempt from standard federal real estate reporting requirements.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Federal agencies with independent leasing authority

These agencies are the subject of a GAO review and potential future oversight or reporting requirements.

General Services Administration (GSA)

The GSA is working with the committee to implement new leasing tools and reduce the federal real estate footprint.

Taxpayers

Taxpayers are affected by the potential $500 million in annual savings identified by the committee through improved lease negotiations.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2017.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This House subcommittee hearing examined the leasing practices of federal agencies that operate independently of the General Services Administration (GSA). The committee is investigating ways to increase oversight and reduce costs for the more than 50 agencies that currently manage their own office and warehouse leases.

Key Facts

The subcommittee is investigating over 50 federal agencies that possess independent authority to lease office and warehouse space.
Approximately half of these independent agencies are not required to comply with OMB directives regarding space reduction.
Many independent agencies do not report their lease data to the governmentwide Federal real property database.
The committee estimates that negotiating better lease deals could save taxpayers $500 million annually.
The House passed H.R. 4487, the Public Buildings Reform and Savings Act, to provide the GSA with tools for more effective lease management.
The committee requested a formal review from the GAO regarding the leasing practices of these independent agencies.

Why It Matters

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are some federal agencies allowed to lease their own space?

The document notes that over 50 agencies have independent statutory authority to lease their own office and warehouse space, separate from the GSA.

What is the main concern regarding these independent leases?

The committee is concerned about the lack of oversight and the fact that many of these agencies do not report their lease data or follow space-reduction directives.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Consolidation of Leasing Oversight

The committee is actively moving to reduce the number of agencies operating outside of GSA leasing oversight to improve fiscal accountability.

General Services Administration Office of Management and Budget

Connected Entities

organizationGeneral Services Administration“Primary federal agency responsible for managing government real estate”Map →

organizationOffice of Management and Budget“Issues directives for space reduction and reporting”Map →

personLou Barletta“Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emer”Map →

organizationGovernment Accountability Office“Requested to conduct a review of independent agency leasing authorities”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy20
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz10
Current news / social attention level

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