Smart Space Act of 2026
Officially: “Smart Space Act of 2026” Read the full text
What it does
Read it in plain language
1Short title
This section would let the Act be referred to by the short title Smart Space Act of 2026.
Show official text
1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Smart Space Act of 2026 .
2Project recommendations
This section would require the Administrator of General Services to hold public consultation meetings within 90 days after the Act becomes law to find alternative ways to finance the construction or renovation of public buildings, or the work needed to prepare public buildings for disposal, that would lower costs to the Federal Government. The Administrator would have to include in these meetings experts in private commercial real estate, experts in Federal real estate, and, if available, State real estate experts with experience using private financing for public buildings and facilities. These meetings would have to be publicly announced in advance and open to the public, and would not be subject to the requirements of chapter 10 of title 5 of the United States Code. Within 120 days after enactment, the Administrator would have to send the President recommendations on which types of public-private partnerships and alternative financing methods best fit the Federal Government's public building needs, along with a list of recommended building projects for using those methods and details on which financing method and partnership type is recommended for each project. The Administrator could only include a project on that list if the project meets all three of these conditions: it serves a core Federal Government mission where keeping the function in federally owned space over the long term matters, it would result in consolidating or relocating Federal departments or agencies out of costly, inefficient, and underutilized space that the Administrator intends to sell or dispose of once the space is vacated, and, for standard office space, it would result in meeting a minimum building utilization of 60 percent or greater as that term is defined in section 2302 of the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (40 U.S.C. 584 note). The Administrator would have to send this report to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the House of Representatives and the Committee on Environment and Public Works in the Senate, and make the report publicly available on the website of the General Services Administration. The Administrator would also have to keep information about the process under this Act, including timelines and milestones, posted on the General Services Administration website, and would have to report directly to the President and Congress any delays with respect to that timing and those milestones. The President could direct the Administrator to proceed with any project on the recommended list, but only subject to future appropriations and to the prospectus requirement and the limit on new legal authority described below. Any project described in the list that the President approves would be subject to the existing prospectus requirement in section 3307 of title 40 of the United States Code, except that the prospectus for that project would have to be submitted to the House and Senate committees named above not later than 30 days after the President approves the project. Any proposed types of alternative financing and public-private partnerships under this Act would have to include terms and conditions that ensure accountability and performance. Nothing in the Act would give the Administrator of General Services any legal authority beyond the authorities the Administrator already had before the Act was enacted. For purposes of the Act, the terms alternate financing and public-private partnership could include agreements that reflect an obligation of a non-Federal entity to design, build, finance, operate, and maintain an asset, or a combination of those tasks, and could also include a ground lease to a non-Federal party paired with a lease back of the improvements to the government. The term public building would carry the meaning already given to it in section 3301 of title 40 of the United States Code.
Show official text
2. Project recommendations (a) Meetings and consultations Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of General Services shall convene consultation meetings to identify alternative financing solutions for the construction or renovation of public buildings, or necessary work to prepare such buildings for disposal that will reduce costs to the Federal Government. (b) Meetings In convening consultation meetings under subsection (a), the Administrator shall include— (1) experts related to private commercial real estate; (2) experts related to Federal real estate; and (3) if available, State real estate experts experienced with leveraging private financing for public buildings and facilities. (c) Report and recommendations Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the President— (1) recommendations on types of public-private partnerships and alternative financing methods best suited for meeting the public building needs of the Federal Government; and (2) a list of recommended projects related to public buildings for which such methods should be used with details on which methods and types of public-private partnerships are recommended for each project. (d) Recommended project list In submitting a list of recommended projects under subsection (c)(2), the Administrator shall submit projects that the Administrator determines— (1) serve core missions of the Federal Government for which maintaining the functions in federally owned space over the long-term is critical; (2) will result in either consolidations or relocations of Federal departments or agencies out of costly, inefficient, and underutilized space that the Administrator intends to sell or dispose of once vacated; and (3) with respect to standard office space, will result in meeting a minimum building utilization of 60 percent or greater as defined in section 2302 of the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024 ( 40 U.S.C. 584 note). (e) Transparency (1) Report The Administrator shall submit the report under subsection (c) to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the House and the Committee on Environment and Public Works in the Senate and make such report publicly available on the website of the General Services Administration. (2) Timeline The Administrator of General Services shall maintain on the website of the General Services Administration information on the process under this Act, including any timelines and milestones. (3) Delays The Administrator shall report directly to the President and Congress any delays with respect to the timing and milestones described in paragraph (2). (4) Meetings Meetings pursuant to subsection (a) shall be noticed and open to the public and shall not be subject to chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code. (f) Project approvals The President may direct the Administrator to proceed with any projects on the recommended project list, subject to future appropriations and subsections (g) and (i). (g) Prospectuses Projects described in subsection (c)(2) that are approved by the President shall be subject to section 3307 of title 40, United States Code, except that prospectuses for such projects shall be submitted to the Committees listed in subsection (e)(1) not later than 30 days after approval by the President. (h) Accountability Any proposed types of alternative financing and public-private partnerships shall include terms and conditions that ensure accountability and performance. (i) Rule of construction Nothing in this Act shall be construed as providing the Administrator of General Services any additional legal authorities beyond the authorities existing prior to enactment of this Act. (j) Definitions In this Act: (1) Alternate financing; public-private partnership The terms alternate financing and public-private partnership may include— (A) agreements that reflect an obligation by a non-Federal entity to design, build, finance, operate, and maintain an asset, or a combination thereof; and (B) a ground-lease to a non-Federal party with a subsequent lease back of the improvements. (2) Public building The term public building has the meaning given such term in section 3301 of title 40, United States Code.
Where it is
In the House.