[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1869 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 196
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1869
[Report No. 116-92]
To require the disclosure of ownership of high-security space leased to
accommodate a Federal agency, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 13, 2019
Mr. Peters (for himself and Mr. Portman) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs
September 10, 2019
Reported by Mr. Johnson, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the disclosure of ownership of high-security space leased to
accommodate a Federal agency, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Secure
Federal Leases from Espionage And Suspicious Entanglements Act'' or the
``Secure Federal LEASEs Act''.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Findings.--Congress finds that--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) the Government Accountability Office has
reported that the Federal Government often leases high-security
space from private sector landlords;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) the General Services Administration collects
highest-level and immediate ownership information through the
System of Award Management, but it is not currently required to
collect beneficial ownership information and lacks an adequate
system for doing so;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) the General Services Administration and
Federal agencies with leasing authority may not know if foreign
owners have a stake in the buildings leased by the agencies,
either through foreign-incorporated legal entities or through
ownership in United States-incorporated legal entities, even
when the leased space is used for classified operations or to
store sensitive data; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) according to a report of the Government
Accountability Office, dated January 2017, that examined the
risks of foreign ownership of Government-leased real estate,
``leasing space in foreign-owned buildings could present
security risks such as espionage and unauthorized cyber and
physical access''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> In this Act:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) Beneficial owner.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) In general.--Except as provided in
subparagraph (B), the term ``beneficial owner'' means,
with respect to a covered entity, each natural person
who, directly or indirectly, through any contract,
arrangement, understanding, relationship, or
otherwise--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) exercises control over the
covered entity; or</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) has a substantial interest in
or receives substantial economic benefits from
the assets of the covered entity.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) Exceptions.--The term ``beneficial
owner'' does not include, with respect to a covered
entity--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) a minor child;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) a person acting as a nominee,
intermediary, custodian, or agent on behalf of
another person;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (iii) a person acting solely as an
employee of the covered entity and whose
control over or economic benefits from the
covered entity derives solely from the
employment status of the person;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (iv) a person whose only interest
in the covered entity is through a right of
inheritance, unless the person also meets the
requirements of subparagraph (A); or</DELETED>
<DELETED> (v) a creditor of the covered
entity, unless the creditor also meets the
requirements of subparagraph (A).</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) Anti-abuse rule.--The exceptions under
subparagraph (B) shall not apply if used for the
purpose of evading, circumventing, or abusing the
requirements of this Act.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Closely held.--The term ``closely held'' means
a fund that has less than 100 natural persons as direct or
indirect investors.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) Control.--The term ``control'' means, with
respect to a covered entity--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) having the authority or ability to
determine how a covered entity is utilized;
or</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) having some decision-making power for
the use of a covered entity.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) Covered entity.--The term ``covered entity''
means a person, copartnership, corporation, or other public or
private entity.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) Executive agency.--The term ``Executive
agency'' has the meaning given the term in section 105 of title
5, United States Code.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (6) Federal agency.--The term ``Federal agency''
means any Executive agency or any establishment in the
legislative or judicial branch of the Government.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (7) Federal lessee.--The term ``Federal lessee''
means the Administrator of General Services, the Architect of
the Capitol, or the head of any Federal agency, other than the
Department of Defense, that has independent statutory leasing
authority.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (8) Foreign entity.--The term ``foreign entity''
means an entity that is headquartered or incorporated in a
country that is not the United States.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (9) Foreign person.--The term ``foreign person''
means an individual who is not a United States
person.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (10) Federal tenant.--The term ``Federal tenant''
means a Federal agency that is occupying or will occupy a high-
security leased space for which a lease agreement has been
secured on behalf of the Federal agency.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (11) High-security leased space.--The term ``high-
security leased space'' means a space leased by a Federal
lessee that--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) will be occupied by Federal employees
for nonmilitary activities; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) has a facility security level of III,
IV, or V, as determined by the Federal tenant in
consultation with the Interagency Security Committee,
the Department of Homeland Security, and the General
Services Administration.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (12) Highest-level owner.--The term ``highest-
level owner'' means the entity that owns or controls an
immediate owner of the offeror of a lease, or that owns or
controls 1 or more entities that control an immediate owner of
the offeror.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (13) Immediate owner.--The term ``immediate
owner'' means an entity, other than the offeror of a lease,
that has direct control of the offeror, including ownership or
interlocking management, identity of interests among family
members, shared facilities and equipment, and the common use of
employees.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (14) Substantial economic benefits.--The term
``substantial economic benefits'' means, with respect to a
natural person described in paragraph (1)(A)(ii), having an
entitlement to the funds or assets of a covered entity that, as
a practical matter, enables the person, directly or indirectly,
to control, manage, or direct the covered entity.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (15) United states person.--The term ``United
States person'' means an individual who--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) is a citizen of the United States;
or</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) is an alien lawfully admitted for
permanent residence in the United States.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (16) Widely held.--The term ``widely held'' means
a fund that has not less than 100 natural persons as direct or
indirect investors.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 3. DISCLOSURE OF OWNERSHIP OF HIGH-SECURITY SPACE LEASED
FOR FEDERAL AGENCIES.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) Required Disclosures.--Before entering into a lease
agreement with a covered entity or approving a novation agreement with
a covered entity involving a change of ownership under a lease that
will be used for high-security leased space, a Federal lessee shall
require the covered entity to identify and disclose whether the
immediate or highest-level owner of the leased space, including an
entity involved in the financing thereof, is a foreign person or a
foreign entity, including the country associated with the ownership
entity.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Notification.--If a disclosure is made under
subsection (a), the Federal lessee shall notify the Federal tenant of
the building or other improvement that will be used for high-security
space in writing, and consult with the Federal tenant, regarding
security concerns and necessary mitigation measures, if any, prior to
award of the lease or approval of the novation agreement.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (c) Timing.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) In general.--A Federal lessee shall require a
covered entity to provide the information described in
subsection (a) to a covered entity when first submitting a
proposal in response to a solicitation for offers issued by the
Federal lessee.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Updates.--A Federal lessee shall require a
covered entity to update a submission of the information
described in subsection (a) annually, beginning on the date
that is 1 year after the date on which the Federal tenant began
occupancy, with information including--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) the list of immediate or highest-level
owners of the covered entity during the preceding 1-
year period of Federal occupancy; or</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) the information required to be
provided relating to each such immediate or highest-
level owner.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 4. IMMEDIATE, HIGHEST-LEVEL, AND BENEFICIAL
OWNERS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) Proposal.--The General Services Administration shall
develop a Government-wide proposal for identifying all immediate,
highest-level, or beneficial owners of high-security leased spaces
before entering into a lease agreement with a covered entity for the
accommodation of a Federal tenant in a high-security leased
space.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Requirements.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) Contents.--The proposal described in
subsection (a) shall include a process for collecting and
utilizing the following information on each immediate, highest-
level, or beneficial owner of a high-security leased
space:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) Name.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) Current residential or business street
address.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) An identifying number or document that
verifies identity as a United States person or foreign
person.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Disclosures and notifications.--The proposal
described in subsection (a) shall--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) require the disclosure of any
immediate, highest-level, or beneficial owner that is a
foreign person;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) require that, if the Federal lessee is
assigning the building or other improvement that will
be used for high-security space to a Federal tenant,
the Federal tenant shall be notified of the disclosure
described in subparagraph (A); and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) exclude collecting ownership
information on widely held pooled-investment vehicles,
mutual funds, trusts, or other pooled-investment
vehicles; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (D) include ownership information on
closely held pooled-investment vehicles, mutual funds,
trusts, or other pooled-investment vehicles.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (c) Report and Implementation.--The General Services
Administration shall--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, submit the proposal described in
subsection (a) to the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on
Oversight and Reform of the House of Representatives;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) not later than 6 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, implement the proposal described in
subsection (a).</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 5. OTHER SECURITY AGREEMENTS FOR LEASED SPACE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> A lease agreement between a Federal lessee and a covered
entity for the accommodation of a Federal agency in a building or other
improvement that will be used for high-security space shall include
language that provides that--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) the covered entity and any member of the
property management company who may be responsible for
oversight or maintenance of the high-security space shall not--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) maintain access to the high-security
space; or</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) have access to the high-security space
without prior approval from the Federal
tenant;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) access to the high-security space or any
property or information located within that space will only be
granted by the Federal tenant if the Federal tenant determines
that the access is clearly consistent with the mission and
responsibilities of the Federal tenant; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) the Federal lessee shall have written
procedures in place, signed by the Federal lessee and the
covered entity, governing access to the high-security space in
case of emergencies that may damage the leased
property.</DELETED>
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Secure Federal
Leases from Espionage and Suspicious Entanglements Act'' or the
``Secure Federal LEASEs Act''.
(b) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) the Government Accountability Office has reported that
the Federal Government often leases high-security space from
private sector landlords;
(2) the General Services Administration collects highest-
level and immediate ownership information through the System of
Award Management, but it is not currently required to collect
beneficial ownership information and lacks an adequate system
for doing so;
(3) the General Services Administration and Federal
agencies with leasing authority may not know if foreign owners
have a stake in the buildings leased by the agencies, either
through foreign-incorporated legal entities or through
ownership in United States-incorporated legal entities, even
when the leased space is used for classified operations or to
store sensitive data; and
(4) according to a report of the Government Accountability
Office, dated January 2017, that examined the risks of foreign
ownership of Government-leased real estate, ``leasing space in
foreign-owned buildings could present security risks such as
espionage and unauthorized cyber and physical access''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Beneficial owner.--
(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph
(B), the term ``beneficial owner'' means, with respect
to a covered entity, each natural person who, directly
or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement,
understanding, relationship, or otherwise--
(i) exercises control over the covered
entity; or
(ii) has a substantial interest in or
receives substantial economic benefits from the
assets of the covered entity.
(B) Exceptions.--The term ``beneficial owner'' does
not include, with respect to a covered entity--
(i) a minor child;
(ii) a person acting as a nominee,
intermediary, custodian, or agent on behalf of
another person;
(iii) a person acting solely as an employee
of the covered entity and whose control over or
economic benefits from the covered entity
derives solely from the employment status of
the person;
(iv) a person whose only interest in the
covered entity is through a right of
inheritance, unless the person also meets the
requirements of subparagraph (A); or
(v) a creditor of the covered entity,
unless the creditor also meets the requirements
of subparagraph (A).
(C) Anti-abuse rule.--The exceptions under
subparagraph (B) shall not apply if used for the
purpose of evading, circumventing, or abusing the
requirements of this Act.
(2) Control.--The term ``control'' means, with respect to a
covered entity--
(A) having the authority or ability to determine
how a covered entity is utilized; or
(B) having some decision-making power for the use
of a covered entity.
(3) Covered entity.--The term ``covered entity'' means--
(A) a person, corporation, company, business
association, partnership, society, trust, or any other
nongovernmental entity, organization, or group; or
(B) any governmental entity or instrumentality of a
government.
(4) Executive agency.--The term ``Executive agency'' has
the meaning given the term in section 105 of title 5, United
States Code.
(5) Federal agency.--The term ``Federal agency'' means any
Executive agency or any establishment in the legislative or
judicial branch of the Government.
(6) Federal lessee.--The term ``Federal lessee'' means the
Administrator of General Services, the Architect of the
Capitol, or the head of any Federal agency, other than the
Department of Defense, that has independent statutory leasing
authority.
(7) Federal tenant.--The term ``Federal tenant'' means a
Federal agency that is occupying or will occupy a high-security
leased space for which a lease agreement has been secured on
behalf of the Federal agency.
(8) Foreign entity.--The term ``foreign entity'' means a
covered entity that is headquartered or incorporated in a
country that is not the United States.
(9) Foreign person.--The term ``foreign person'' means an
individual who is not a United States person.
(10) High-security leased space.--The term ``high-security
leased space'' means a space leased by a Federal lessee that--
(A) will be occupied by Federal employees for
nonmilitary activities; and
(B) has a facility security level of III, IV, or V,
as determined by the Federal tenant in consultation
with the Interagency Security Committee, the Department
of Homeland Security, and the General Services
Administration.
(11) Highest-level owner.--The term ``highest level owner''
means the entity that owns or controls an immediate owner of
the offeror of a lease, or that owns or controls 1 or more
entities that control an immediate owner of the offeror.
(12) Immediate owner.--The term ``immediate owner'' means
an entity, other than the offeror of a lease, that has direct
control of the offeror, including ownership or interlocking
management, identity of interests among family members, shared
facilities and equipment, and the common use of employees.
(13) Substantial economic benefits.--The term ``substantial
economic benefits'' means, with respect to a natural person
described in paragraph (1)(A)(ii), having an entitlement to the
funds or assets of a covered entity that, as a practical
matter, enables the person, directly or indirectly, to control,
manage, or direct the covered entity.
(14) United states person.--The term ``United States
person'' means an individual who--
(A) is a citizen of the United States; or
(B) is an alien lawfully admitted for permanent
residence in the United States.
(15) Widely-held.--The term ``widely-held'' means a fund
that has not less than 100 natural persons as direct or
indirect investors.
SEC. 3. DISCLOSURE OF OWNERSHIP OF HIGH-SECURITY SPACE LEASED FOR
FEDERAL AGENCIES.
(a) Required Disclosures.--Before entering into a lease agreement
with a covered entity or approving a novation agreement with a covered
entity involving a change of ownership under a lease that will be used
for high-security leased space, a Federal lessee shall require the
covered entity to identify and disclose whether the immediate or
highest-level owner of the leased space, including an entity involved
in the financing thereof, is a foreign person or a foreign entity,
including the country associated with the ownership entity.
(b) Notification.--If a disclosure is made under subsection (a),
the Federal lessee shall notify the Federal tenant of the building or
other improvement that will be used for high-security space in writing,
and consult with the Federal tenant, regarding security concerns and
necessary mitigation measures, if any, prior to award of the lease or
approval of the novation agreement.
(c) Timing.--
(1) In general.--A Federal lessee shall require a covered
entity to provide the information described in subsection (a)
to a covered entity when first submitting a proposal in
response to a solicitation for offers issued by the Federal
lessee.
(2) Updates.--A Federal lessee shall require a covered
entity to submit an update of the information described in
subsection (a) annually, beginning on the date that is 1 year
after the date on which the Federal tenant began occupancy,
with information including--
(A) the list of immediate or highest-level owners
of the covered entity during the preceding 1-year
period of Federal occupancy; or
(B) the information required to be provided
relating to each such immediate or highest-level owner.
SEC. 4. IMMEDIATE, HIGHEST-LEVEL, AND BENEFICIAL OWNERS.
(a) Plan.--The General Services Administration shall develop a
Government-wide plan for identifying all immediate, highest-level, or
beneficial owners of high-security leased spaces before entering into a
lease agreement with a covered entity for the accommodation of a
Federal tenant in a high-security leased space.
(b) Requirements.--
(1) Contents.--The plan described in subsection (a) shall
include a process for collecting and utilizing the following
information on each immediate, highest-level, or beneficial
owner of a high-security leased space:
(A) Name.
(B) Current residential or business street address.
(C) An identifying number or document that verifies
identity as a United States person, foreign person, or
foreign entity.
(2) Disclosures and notifications.--The plan described in
subsection (a) shall--
(A) require the disclosure of any immediate,
highest-level, or beneficial owner that is a foreign
person;
(B) require that, if the Federal lessee is
assigning the building or other improvement that will
be used for high-security space to a Federal tenant,
the Federal tenant shall be notified of the disclosure
described in subparagraph (A); and
(C) exclude collecting ownership information on
widely-held pooled investment vehicles, mutual funds,
trusts, or other pooled-investment vehicles.
(c) Report and Implementation.--The General Services Administration
shall--
(1) not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of
this Act, submit the plan described in subsection (a) to the
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the
Senate and the Committee on Oversight and Reform of the House
of Representatives;
(2) not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of
this Act, implement the plan described in subsection (a); and
(3) not later than 1 year after the implementation of the
plan described in subsection (a), and each year thereafter for
9 years, submit a report to the Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on
Oversight and Reform of the House of Representatives on the
status of the implementation of the plan, including the number
of disclosures made under subsection (b)(2).
SEC. 5. OTHER SECURITY AGREEMENTS FOR LEASED SPACE.
A lease agreement between a Federal lessee and a covered entity for
the accommodation of a Federal agency in a building or other
improvement that will be used for high-security leased space shall
include language that provides that--
(1) the covered entity and any member of the property
management company who may be responsible for oversight or
maintenance of the high-security leased space shall not--
(A) maintain access to the high-security leased
space; or
(B) have access to the high-security leased space
without prior approval from the Federal tenant;
(2) access to the high-security leased space or any
property or information located within that space will only be
granted by the Federal tenant if the Federal tenant determines
that the access is clearly consistent with the mission and
responsibilities of the Federal tenant; and
(3) the Federal lessee shall have written procedures in
place, signed by the Federal lessee and the covered entity,
governing access to the high-security leased space in case of
emergencies that may damage the leased property.
SEC. 6. APPLICABILITY.
Except where otherwise provided, this Act shall apply with respect
to any lease or novation agreement entered into on or after the date of
the enactment of this Act.
Calendar No. 196
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1869
[Report No. 116-92]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the disclosure of ownership of high-security space leased to
accommodate a Federal agency, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
September 10, 2019
Reported with an amendment