[House Report 118-276]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


118th Congress   }                                      {       Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session     }                                      {      118-276

======================================================================



 
 TO DIRECT THE ADMINISTRATOR OF GENERAL SERVICES TO SELL THE PROPERTY 
                      KNOWN AS THE WEBSTER SCHOOL

                                _______
                                

 November 21, 2023.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on 
            the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

   Mr. Graves of Missouri, from the Committee on Transportation and 
                Infrastructure, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 4688]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom 
was referred the bill (H.R. 4688) to direct the Administrator 
of General Services to sell the property known as the Webster 
School, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon 
without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page
Purpose of Legislation...........................................     2
Background and Need for Legislation..............................     2
Hearings.........................................................     2
Legislative History and Consideration............................     2
Committee Votes..................................................     3
Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations.................     3
New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures........................     3
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate........................     3
Performance Goals and Objectives.................................     4
Duplication of Federal Programs..................................     4
Congressional Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff 
  Benefits.......................................................     4
Federal Mandates Statement.......................................     4
Preemption Clarification.........................................     5
Advisory Committee Statement.....................................     5
Applicability to Legislative Branch..............................     5
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation...................     5
    Section 1. Sale of Webster School............................     5
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............     5

                         PURPOSE OF LEGISLATION

    The purpose of H.R. 4688 is to direct the Administrator of 
the General Services Administration to sell the property known 
as the Webster School.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    Built in 1882, the Webster School is a three-story building 
in downtown Washington, D.C., surrounded by commercial and 
residential properties. It has been used for a variety of 
purposes throughout the years, largely as a school. However, 
since the 1980s, the school has been vacant and in disrepair. 
The property is listed in the National Register of Historic 
Places.
    The General Services Administration (GSA) condemned the 
Webster School in 2003, to acquire the property at the request 
of the United States Secret Service, which intended to use and 
maintain the building for security purposes given its proximity 
to its headquarters building. However, over the last 20 years, 
no funding has been secured to renovate the building for 
Federal use.
    In a recent report, the Government Accountability Office 
(GAO) found that on average agencies are only utilizing 25 
percent of their headquarter buildings.\1\ The report 
highlights the vast amount of waste across the Federal real 
estate portfolio. As the Federal Government looks to realign 
its real estate portfolio with current needs, it needs to sell 
unused space. The Webster School is an example of property that 
should be sold and removed from the Federal real estate 
portfolio.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\United States Gov't Accountability Off., GAO-23-106200, 
Preliminary Results Show Fed. Buildings Remain Underutilized Due to 
Longstanding Challenges and Increased Telework (July 13, 2023), 
available at https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-23-106200.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                HEARINGS

    For the purposes of rule XIII, clause 3(c)(6)(A) of the 
118th Congress, the following hearing was used to develop or 
consider H.R. 4688:
    On July 13, 2023, the Subcommittee on Economic Development, 
Public Buildings, and Emergency Management of the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure held a hearing entitled, 
``When the Lights Are On but No One's Home: An Examination of 
Federal Office Space Utilization.'' The hearing discussed 
Federal real estate, including office space utilization. The 
Subcommittee received testimony from Nina Albert, Commissioner, 
Public Buildings Service, GSA; and David Marroni, Acting 
Director, Physical Infrastructure, GAO.

                 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND CONSIDERATION

    H.R. 4688 was introduced in the United States House of 
Representatives of July 17, 2023, by Delegate Holmes Norton of 
the District of Columbia and Mr. Perry of Pennsylvania and 
referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. 
Within the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, H.R. 
4688 was referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, 
Public Buildings, and Emergency Management. The Subcommittee on 
Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency 
Management was discharged from further consideration of H.R. 
4688 on July 27, 2023.
    The Committee considered H.R. 4688 on July 27, 2023, and 
ordered the measure to be reported to the House with a 
favorable recommendation, without amendment, by voice vote.

                            COMMITTEE VOTES

    Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives requires each committee report to include the 
total number of votes cast for and against on each record vote 
on a motion to report and on any amendment offered to the 
measure or matter, and the names of those members voting for 
and against.
    No recorded votes were taken during consideration of H.R. 
4688.

            COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

    With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(1) of rule 
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee's oversight findings and recommendations are 
reflected in this report.

               NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY AND TAX EXPENDITURES

    Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives does not apply where a cost estimate and 
comparison prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974 has been timely submitted prior to the filing of the 
report and is included in the report. Such a cost estimate is 
included in this report.

               CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

    With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(3) of rule 
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 
402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has 
received the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 4688 from the 
Director of the Congressional Budget Office:

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]


    H.R. 4688 would require the General Services Administration 
(GSA) to sell the Webster School in Washington, D.C.; at fair 
market value and for its highest and best use by December 31, 
2025. Net proceeds from that sale would be deposited in the 
Federal Buildings Fund and recorded in the budget as offsetting 
receipts (or reductions in direct spending).
    The Webster School, built in 1881, was purchased by the 
federal government in 2003 for about $2 million. The building 
is currently unoccupied. In 2014, GSA had it appraised at about 
$1 million. The agency indicates that the vacant property's 
condition has deteriorated. In addition, potential buyers would 
be subject to strict security requirements that could reduce 
the sales price because of the building's proximity to the 
Secret Service headquarters.
    Using that information, CBO estimates that the net proceeds 
would be about $750,000. CBO expects that under current law the 
property could be sold within the next 10 years. In the absence 
of specific information, CBO uses a 50 percent probability that 
the property will be sold. On that basis, CBO estimates that 
enacting H.R. 4688 would increase net receipts by less than 
$500,000.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew 
Pickford. The estimate was reviewed by Ann E. Futrell, Senior 
Adviser for Budget Analysis.
                                         Phillip L. Swagel,
                             Director, Congressional Budget Office.

                    PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

    With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(4) of rule 
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
performance goal and objective of this legislation is to direct 
the Administrator of General Services to sell the property 
known as the Webster School.

                    DUPLICATION OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee finds that no provision 
of H.R. 4688 establishes or reauthorizes a program of the 
Federal government known to be duplicative of another Federal 
program, a program that was included in any report from the 
Government Accountability Office to Congress pursuant to 
section 21 of Public Law 111-139, or a program related to a 
program identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal 
Domestic Assistance.

   CONGRESSIONAL EARMARKS, LIMITED TAX BENEFITS, AND LIMITED TARIFF 
                                BENEFITS

    In compliance with clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, this bill, as reported, contains no 
congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff 
benefits as defined in clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of the rule 
XXI.

                       FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT

    The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal 
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform 
Act (Public Law 104-4).

                        PREEMPTION CLARIFICATION

    Section 423 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 
requires the report of any Committee on a bill or joint 
resolution to include a statement on the extent to which the 
bill or joint resolution is intended to preempt state, local, 
or tribal law. The Committee finds that H.R. 4688 does not 
preempt any state, local, or tribal law.

                      ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

    No advisory committees within the definition of Section 
5(b) of the appendix to Title 5, United States Code, are 
created by this legislation.

                  APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to 
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public 
services or accommodations within the meaning of section 
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act (Public Law 
104-1).

             SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF THE LEGISLATION

Section 1. Sale of Webster School

    This section directs the Administrator of the General 
Services Administration to sell the Webster School at fair 
market value and at highest and best use, not later than 
December 31, 2025. Any proceeds made from the sale shall be 
paid into the Federal Buildings Fund and are subject to future 
appropriations.

         CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

    As reported by the Committee, H.R. 4688 makes no changes in 
existing law.

                                  [all]