[House Report 119-238]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
119th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 119-238
=======================================================================
SHARED PROPERTY AGENCY COLLABORATION AND
ENGAGEMENT ACT OF 2025
----------------
September 8, 2025.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
----------------
Mr. Graves, from the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 3424]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom
was referred the bill (H.R. 3424) to require the Administrator
of the General Services Administration to collaborate with
Federal tenants with respect to shared-space arrangements, and
for other purposes, 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......................................................... 3
Legislative History and Consideration............................ 3
Committee Votes.................................................. 4
Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations................. 4
New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures........................ 4
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate........................ 4
Performance Goals and Objectives................................. 6
Duplication of Federal Programs.................................. 6
Congressional Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff
Benefits....................................................... 6
Federal Mandates Statement....................................... 6
Preemption Clarification......................................... 6
Advisory Committee Statement..................................... 6
Applicability to Legislative Branch.............................. 6
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation................... 6
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............ 7
PURPOSE OF LEGISLATION
The purpose of H.R. 3424, the Shared Property Agency
Collaboration and Engagement (SPACE) Act of 2025, is to require
the Administrator of the General Services Administration to
collaborate with Federal tenants with respect to shared-space
arrangements, and for other purposes.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
The General Services Administration (GSA) currently manages
363 million square feet of space in 8,397 owned and leased
assets.\1\ The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports
that operating, maintaining, and leasing office space costs
more than $8 billion annually.\2\ While GSA continues to reduce
the amount of leased space, more than half of GSA's operating
leases (96 million square feet) will expire in the next five
years.\3\
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\1\U.S. Gen. Serv. Admin., GSA Properties (last updated Sept. 19,
2024), available at https://www.gsa.gov/real-estate/gsa-properties.
\2\U.S. Gov't Accountability Off., GAO-24-106919, Federal Real
Property: Actions Needed to Better Assess Office Sharing Pilot's
Broader Applicability (Sept. 11, 2024), available at https://
www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-106919.
\3\Press Release, U.S. Gen. Serv. Admin., GSA Accelerates Efforts
to Right-Size Federal Real Estate with Plans for 1.5 Million Square
Feet in Reductions and More than $475 Million in Cost Avoidance to
Taxpayers (Dec. 4, 2024), available at https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/
newsroom/news-releases/gsa-accelerates-efforts-to-rightsize-federal-
real-estate-12042024.
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In recent years, there have been increasing reports of
``shadow'' or ``dark'' space in Federal buildings and leases
which is unassigned, unused space.\4\ The concerns about
``shadow'' or ``dark'' space were emphasized during the
Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and
Emergency Management of the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure's Roundtable on ``The State of Federal Real
Estate,'' held on March 22, 2023, where participants noted that
30 percent of Federal employees plan to retire within the next
five years and nearly 30 percent of Federal employees with
remote work agreements live outside their assigned region.\5\
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\4\U.S. Gen. Serv. Admin., Unused & Underused Space (Last reviewed
Mar. 4, 2022), available at https://www.gsa.gov/real-estate/gsa-
properties/unused-underused-space.
\5\The State of Federal Real Estate: Roundtable Before the Subcomm.
on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management of
the H. Comm. on Transp. and Infrastructure, 118th Cong. (Mar. 22,
2023).
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During the 117th Congress, the Committee requested that GAO
conduct a study on office space utilization rates across the 24
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Act agency headquarters to better
understand how the Federal Government is utilizing its real
estate portfolio.\6\ In order to assess space utilization, GAO
collected building size and attendance data from all 24
agencies for one week each in January, February, and March of
2023. Utilization was then calculated by dividing in-office
attendance by the building's useable square footage or
capacity.\7\ GAO found that on average, 17 of the 24 CFO agency
headquarters were at 25 percent or less utilization.\8\ GAO
found the headquarters buildings for certain agencies,
including GSA, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of
Housing and Urban Development, the Office of Personnel
Management, the Small Business Administration, and the Social
Security Administration were as low as a nine percent space
utilization.\9\
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\6\Letter from Peter DeFazio, Chairman, H. Comm. on Transp. and
Infrastructure, et al. to Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General, GAO (Nov.
10, 2021) (on file with Comm.).
\7\Briefing from Staff, U.S. Gov't Accountability Off., to Staff,
H. Comm. on Transp. and Infrastructure (June 26, 2023, 11:00 AM EST).
\8\U.S. Gov't Accountability Off., GAO-24-107006, Federal Real
Property: Agencies Need New Benchmarks to Measure and Shed
Underutilized Space (Oct. 2023) available at https://www.gao.gov/
assets/d24107006.pdf.
\9\Id.
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In response to the concern raised in the GAO report,
Subcommittee Chairman Perry introduced the Utilizing Space
Efficiency and Improving Technologies (USE IT) Act of 2023.\10\
This legislation mandates GSA and Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) establish standardized methods for measuring
office occupancy across Federal agencies.\11\ The Act
introduced a government-wide 60 percent occupancy metric,
directing Federal agencies to consolidate, repurpose, or sell
underused office space to increase operational efficiency and
reduce real estate costs.\12\ This initiative aims to maximize
space utilization, particularly in light of the ongoing shift
to hybrid and remote work models.\13\ The USE IT Act also
specifically directs that department and agency headquarters
buildings in the National Capital Region be consolidated and
excess space sold to meet the minimum 60 percent occupancy
metric.\14\ On January 4, 2025, the USE IT Act was signed into
law as part of the larger Thomas R. Carper Water Resources
Development Act (WRDA) of 2024.\15\
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\10\Utilizing Space Efficiency and Improving Technologies Act of
2023, Pub. L. No. 118-272.
\11\Id.
\12\Id.
\13\Id.
\14\Id.
\15\Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024, Pub.
L. No. 118-272.
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HEARINGS
For the purposes of rule XIII, clause 3(c)(6)(A) of the
119th Congress, the following hearing was used to develop or
consider H.R. 3424:
On March 5, 2025, the Subcommittee on Economic Development,
Public Buildings, and Emergency Management of the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure held a hearing entitled,
``America Builds: Making Federal Real Estate Work for the
Taxpayer.'' The Subcommittee received testimony from Mr. David
Marroni, Director, Physical Infrastructure, GAO and Mr. David
Winstead, Board Member, Public Buildings Reform Board.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND CONSIDERATION
H.R. 3424 was introduced in the United States House of
Representatives on May 15, 2025, by Mr. Onder of Missouri and
referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Within the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, H.R.
3424 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.
3424 on June 11, 2025.
The Committee considered H.R. 3424 on June 11, 2025, 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 record votes were requested during consideration of H.R.
3424.
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. 3424 from the
Director of the Congressional Budget Office:
Legislation Considered Under Suspension of the Rules
The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives
announces bills that will be considered under suspension of the
rules in that chamber. Under suspension, floor debate is
limited, all floor amendments are prohibited, points of order
against the bill are waived, and final passage requires a two-
thirds majority vote.
At the request of the Majority Leader and the House
Committee on the Budget, CBO estimates the effects of those
bills on direct spending and revenues. CBO has limited time to
review the legislation before consideration. Although it is
possible in most cases to determine whether the legislation
would affect direct spending or revenues, time may be
insufficient to estimate the magnitude of those effects. If CBO
has prepared estimates for similar or identical legislation, a
more detailed assessment of budgetary effects, including
effects on spending subject to appropriation, may be included.
EFFECTS ON DIRECT SPENDING AND REVENUES OF LEGISLATION CONSIDERED UNDER SUSPENSION OF THE RULES IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Week of September 8, 2025
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Additional
information on Suspension bill
Bill number Title Effect on direct Effect on revenues direct spending Link to published text at
spending and revenue estimates docs.house.gov
effects
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H.R. 2591....................... Mental Health in None.............. None.............. .................. https:// https://
Aviation Act of www.cbo.gov/ docs.house.gov/
2025, as amended. publication/61623. billsthisweek/
20250908/
HR%202591.pdf
H.R. 3055....................... TRANSPORT Jobs None.............. None.............. .................. .................. https://
Act, as amended. docs.house.gov/
billsthisweek/
20250908/
HR%203055.pdf
H.R. 3423....................... FROST Act, as Increase by Less None.............. .................. https:// https://
amended. Than $500K. www.cbo.gov/ docs.house.gov/
publication/61630. billsthisweek/
20250908/
HR%203423.pdf
H.R. 3424....................... SPACE Act of 2025. None.............. None.............. .................. .................. https://
docs.house.gov/
billsthisweek/
20250908/
HR%203424.pdf
H.R. 3425....................... POST Act of 2025, None.............. None.............. .................. .................. https://
as amended. docs.house.gov/
billsthisweek/
20250908/
HR%203425.pdf
H.R. 3426....................... CASE Act, as None.............. None.............. .................. .................. https://
amended. docs.house.gov/
billsthisweek/
20250908/
HR%203426%Amended
.pdf
H.R. 3428....................... Mid-Atlantic River None.............. None.............. .................. .................. https://
Basin Commissions docs.house.gov/
Review Act. billsthisweek/
20250908/
HR%203428.pdf
H.R. 4550....................... United States Reduce by Less None.............. .................. https:// https://
Grain Standards Than $500K. www.cbo.gov/ docs.house.gov/
Reauthorization publication/61725. billsthisweek/
Act of 2025. 20250908/
HR%204550.pdf
H. Res. __...................... Honoring the None.............. None.............. .................. .................. https://
victims and docs.house.gov/
survivors of the billsthisweek/
mass shooting at 20250908/
Annunciation MN%20Res.pdf
Catholic Church
and School in
Minneapolis,
Minnesota.
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Source: 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 amend
title 40, United States Code, to require the Administrator of
the General Services Administration to collaborate with Federal
tenants with respect to shared-space arrangements, and for
other purposes.
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. 3424 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. 3424 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. Short title
This section requires cites the bill as ``Shared Property
Agency Collaboration and Engagement (SPACE) Act of 2025''.
Section 2. GSA collaboration with Federal tenants
This section directs that when carrying out section 2302 of
the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024,
the Administrator of GSA shall collaborate with tenants of
Federally-leased space to better identify concerns among
Federal agencies around shared-space arrangements.\16\
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\16\Id.
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Further, the Administrator shall work to develop a criteria
that would facilitate the expanded use of space-sharing or
collocating, identify how special-use spaces can be used to
improve space-sharing or collocating, and establish measurable
objectives to quantify the success of shared-space arrangements
among Federal agencies.
This section also directs the Administrator of GSA to brief
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House
of Representatives and the Committee on Environment and Public
Works of the Senate on the implementation of the requirements
of this Act.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED
As reported by the Committee, H.R. 3424 makes no changes in
existing law.
[all]