[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 19, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H1211-H1213]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          IMPACT OF CRIME ON PUBLIC BUILDING USAGE ACT OF 2023

  Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 6261) to direct the Comptroller General to 
conduct a review on the impact of crime on public building usage, and 
for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 6261

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Impact of Crime on Public 
     Building Usage Act of 2023''.

     SEC. 2. REPORT ON IMPACT OF CRIME ON PUBLIC BUILDING USAGE.

       Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall 
     conduct a review and submit to Congress a report outlining--
       (1) the effects of increased crime rates and safety 
     concerns, including use of fentanyl and other drugs and 
     homelessness, in urban areas on building usage for in-person 
     work at Federal buildings;
       (2) how usage of different commuting modes of 
     transportation to Federal buildings are affected by increased 
     crime rates;
       (3) the effects of low office utilization rates on safety 
     around Federal buildings;
       (4) any agency exceptions given to the policy set forth in 
     the memorandum of the Office of Management and Budget titled 
     ``Measuring, Monitoring, and Improving Organizational Health 
     and Organizational Performance in the Context of Evolving 
     Agency Work Environments'' and issued on April 13, 2023, due 
     to unsafe commuting conditions; and
       (5) any costs associated with safety issues impacting 
     Federal building.

     SEC. 3. REPORT ON COSTS OF CRIME AROUND PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

       Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the inspector general of the General Services 
     Administration shall submit to Congress a report on the 
     impacts on and costs associated with building operations 
     related to crime and public safety in and around Federal 
     buildings.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
South Dakota (Mr. Johnson) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Menendez) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from South Dakota.


                             General Leave

  Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record on H.R. 
6261.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from South Dakota?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  Periodically, we get 1,000-page bills or 2,000-page bills or 4,000-
page bills that we debate on this floor. It can be a little hard for 
the people in the gallery and the people at home to make sense of what 
we are doing. This bill is not that.
  This excellent piece of legislation from Mrs. Chavez-DeRemer fits on 
a single piece of paper. She and I were talking about that, Mr. 
Speaker, before we began debate on this bill, about how much good 
wisdom is packed into a single page. We will probably talk about the 
merits of this legislation for longer than it would take us to read the 
entirety of the bill, but it is just that good.
  The Impact of Crime on Public Building Usage Act of 2023, which is 
this piece of paper, Mr. Speaker, H.R. 6261, directs the Government 
Accountability Office, or the GAO, to examine how crime in and around 
public buildings affects building usage, how it affects how workers 
might commute to the office, and how it might impose any additional 
costs to maintain those public buildings.
  In 2020, Mr. Speaker, we saw crime rates spike across the country. In 
many of the downtown areas in many of our States, areas that used to be 
bustling with workers became near ghost towns that changed the crime 
profile in many of those areas, to be sure.
  We are in a little bit different era today, and now we have 
differing, conflicting data community by community. In some, crime 
rates are continuing to go up. In some, they are going down. In some, 
the data might differ between property crimes and violent crimes.
  One thing we do know, Mr. Speaker, is that, of course, the crime that 
exists can continue to have an impact--a perhaps profound impact--on 
how we use our Federal buildings.
  I will just give you one example, Mr. Speaker, from perhaps 6 months 
ago. In August 2023, employees who worked in a Federal building in San 
Francisco were told not to come to work because of safety concerns. 
These weren't safety concerns related to an earthquake or to a 
blizzard, an occurrence that we might experience at Federal buildings 
in South Dakota but not in San Francisco. No, those weren't the safety 
concerns. They weren't weather related. They were crime related.
  It seems like, as good managers, we would want to better understand 
that issue and what we can do to have it be less common in the future.
  It is particularly true as we work to bring employees back to the 
office. We know there is study after study that shows that people 
working in close physical proximity can share real benefits. Remote 
work has benefits, too, but as we talk to employees about coming back 
to the office in those times and in those places where it makes sense, 
it is incumbent upon us to make sure that their public safety is well 
cared for--not just when they are in the building, but when they are on 
their way to or from work as well.
  I thank the bill's sponsor, the gentlewoman from Oregon (Mrs. Chavez-
DeRemer). She has exhibited real leadership on this legislation. She 
has shown real advocacy to make sure that Federal employees are able to 
return safely to Federal office buildings and that, while they are 
there, they are effective and efficient.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.


[[Page H1212]]


         House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and 
           Accountability,
                                    Washington, DC, March 4, 2024.
     Hon. Sam Graves,
     Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Graves: Thank you for consulting with the 
     Committee on Oversight and Accountability. The Committee on 
     Oversight and Accountability agrees to be discharged from 
     further consideration of H.R. 6261, the Impact of Crime on 
     Public Building Usage Act of 2023, so that it may proceed 
     expeditiously to the House Floor.
       I agree that by foregoing consideration of H.R. 6261 at 
     this time, the Committee on Oversight and Accountability does 
     not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained 
     in this or similar legislation. The Committee on Oversight 
     and Accountability should be appropriately consulted and 
     involved on this or similar legislation as it moves forward. 
     I support your effort to represent the House Committee on 
     Oversight and Accountability on the conference committee if a 
     conference on the bill becomes necessary.
       As discussed, I appreciate your inclusion of a copy of our 
     exchange of letters on this bill in the bill report filed by 
     the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and in the 
     Congressional Record during House floor consideration 
     thereof. I appreciate your cooperation regarding this bill 
     and look forward to future opportunities to work together on 
     matters of shared jurisdiction.
           Sincerely,
                                                      James Comer,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

         Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of 
           Representatives,
                                    Washington, DC, March 4, 2024.
     Hon. James Comer,
     Chairman, Committee on Oversight and Accountability, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Comer: I write to you concerning H.R. 6261, 
     the Impact of Crime on Public Building Usage Act of 2023. The 
     bill was referred primarily to the Committee on 
     Transportation and Infrastructure, with additional referrals 
     to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability and the 
     Committee on the Judiciary.
       I ask that you allow the Committee on Oversight and 
     Accountability to be discharged from further consideration of 
     the bill so that it may be scheduled by the Majority Leader. 
     This discharge in no way affects your jurisdiction over the 
     subject matter of the bill, and it will not serve as 
     precedent for futural referrals. In addition, should a 
     conference on the bill be necessary, I would support your 
     request to have the Committee on Committee on Oversight and 
     Accountability represented on the conference committee. 
     Finally, I would be pleased to include this letter and any 
     response in the Congressional Record during floor 
     consideration, to memorialize our understanding.
       Thank you for your consideration of my request.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Sam Graves,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                   Committee on the Judiciary,

                                    Washington, DC, March 4, 2024.
     Hon. Sam Graves,
     Chairman, Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, House 
         of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Graves: I write regarding H.R. 6261, the 
     Impact of Crime on Public Building Usage Act of 2023. 
     Provisions of this bill fall within the Judiciary Committee's 
     Rule X jurisdiction, and I appreciate that you consulted with 
     us on those provisions. The Judiciary Committee agrees that 
     it shall be discharged from further consideration of the bill 
     so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor.
       The Committee takes this action with the understanding that 
     forgoing further consideration of this measure does not in 
     any way alter the Committee's jurisdiction or waive any 
     future jurisdictional claim over these provisions or their 
     subject matter. We also reserve the right to seek appointment 
     of an appropriate number of conferees in the event of a 
     conference with the Senate involving this measure or similar 
     legislation.
       I ask that you please include this letter in your 
     committee's report to accompany this legislation or insert 
     this letter in the Congressional Record during consideration 
     of H.R. 6261 on the House floor. I appreciate the cooperative 
     manner in which our committees have worked on this matter, 
     and I look forward to working collaboratively in the future 
     on matters of shared jurisdiction. Thank you for your 
     attention to this matter.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Jim Jordan,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

         Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of 
           Representatives,
                                    Washington, DC, March 4, 2024.
     Hon. Jim Jordan,
     Chairman, Committee on Judiciary,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Jordan: Thank you for your letter regarding 
     H.R. 6261, the Impact of Crime on Public Building Usage Act 
     of 2023. I appreciate your willingness to work cooperatively 
     to ensure that H.R. 6261 is considered expeditiously before 
     the House of Representatives.
       In response to your letter, I recognize that this bill 
     contains provisions that fall within the jurisdiction of the 
     Committee on the Judiciary. I also acknowledge that the 
     Committee on the Judiciary's decision to forgo consideration 
     would not prejudice your Committee regarding the appointment 
     of conferees, to any future jurisdictional claim over the 
     subject matter contained in the bill, or to similar 
     legislation falling under you Committee's Rule X 
     jurisdiction. In addition, should a conference on this bill 
     become necessary, I would support your request to have 
     members of the Committee on the Judiciary represented on the 
     conference committee.
       I will ensure that our exchange of letters is included our 
     Committee report to accompany this legislation and in the 
     Congressional Record during consideration of H.R. 6261 on the 
     House floor. Thank you again, I appreciate your cooperation 
     regarding this legislation and look forward to continuing to 
     work with you as this measure moves through the legislative 
     process.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Sam Graves,
                                                         Chairman.

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6261. This bill introduced by 
my colleague, Representative Chavez-DeRemer, directs the Government 
Accountability Office to study and report to Congress on the effects 
that crime and safety concerns have on in-person work in Federal 
buildings.
  Federal buildings must be safe and secure places for Federal 
employees, contractors, and the American public.
  Evaluating the safety in and around Federal buildings is a good idea. 
I recommend that the GAO gather and include in the report data from the 
Federal Protective Service, the agency responsible for protecting 
Federal buildings and assessing the security of Federal buildings, as 
well as the employees who populate them.
  I also recommend that GAO include the Office of the Inspector General 
of the Department of Homeland Security in the development of the 
report. DHS' OIG has access to historical data and current trends which 
may assist in the evaluation of the impacts noted in the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to 
do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Oregon (Mrs. Chavez-DeRemer).
  Mrs. CHAVEZ-DeREMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 
6261, which would commission a Federal study on public safety issues in 
and around public office buildings.
  In Oregon and in communities across the country, rampant fentanyl use 
and homelessness understandably cause workers to worry about their 
safety, and some just might choose to stay home as a result.
  Public buildings are running parallel to private buildings. Let me 
quote from an article in Willamette Week from August 16, 2023--I know 
my colleague recognized San Francisco--titled:

       Empty and Unwanted, the Iconic Buildings of Portland's 
     Skyline Are in Trouble. The question--and it is a contentious 
     one--is whether Portland is worse than any place else because 
     of blight. Plywood that went up during the protests is still 
     there. Homeless camps that took root during the pandemic are 
     only now being removed. On some downtown blocks, you will see 
     someone smoking fentanyl while drinking a Frappuccino.

  That has the same effect on our Federal buildings. Additionally, the 
GAO would be required to examine any costs that are associated with 
safety issues at these buildings.
  To make more informed spending decisions on Federal real estate 
moving forward, Congress needs to understand how factors like crime 
contribute to building costs and employee decisions.
  H.R. 6261 will shine a light on public safety concerns and help 
Congress identify improvements that can be made to protect Federal 
workers.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, Federal buildings must be safe and secure 
places for Federal employees, contractors, and the American public.
  I believe evaluating the safety in and around Federal buildings is a 
good idea, which is why I support this bill and encourage my colleagues 
to do the same.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

[[Page H1213]]

  


                              {time}  1715

  Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance 
of my time for closing.
  As we encourage Federal employees to return to an in-person working 
posture, at those times when it is appropriate, it is crucial that we 
ensure that they are coming back to a safe work environment.
  I urge support of H.R. 6261 so we can ultimately address the unsafe 
working conditions deterring employees from returning to work.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from South Dakota (Mr. Johnson) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 6261.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________