[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 6 (Monday, February 9, 2004)]
[Pages 192-195]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Executive Order 13327--Federal Real Property Asset Management

February 4, 2004

    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and 
the laws of the United States of America, including section 121(a) of 
title 40, United States Code, and in order to promote the efficient and 
economical use of Federal real property resources in accordance with 
their value as national assets and in the best interests of the Nation, 
it is hereby ordered as follows:
    Section 1. Policy. It is the policy of the United States to promote 
the efficient and economical use of America's real property assets and 
to assure management accountability for implementing Federal real 
property management reforms. Based on this policy, executive branch 
departments and agencies shall recognize the importance of real property 
resources through increased management attention, the establishment of 
clear goals and objectives, improved policies and levels of 
accountability, and other appropriate action.
    Sec. 2. Definition and Scope. (a) For the purpose of this executive 
order, Federal real property is defined as any real property owned, 
leased, or otherwise managed by the Federal Government, both within and 
outside the United States, and improvements on Federal lands. For the 
purpose of this order, Federal real property shall exclude: interests in 
real property assets that have been disposed of for public benefit 
purposes pursuant to section 484 of title 40, United States Code, and 
are now held in private ownership; land easements or rights-of-way held 
by the Federal Government; public domain land (including lands withdrawn 
for military purposes) or land reserved or dedicated for national 
forest, national park, or national wildlife refuge purposes except for 
improvements on those lands; land held in trust or restricted fee status 
for individual Indians or Indian tribes; and land and interests in land 
that are withheld from the scope of this order by agency heads for 
reasons of national security, foreign policy, or public safety.
    (b) This order shall not be interpreted to supersede any existing 
authority under law or by executive order for real property asset 
management, with the exception of the revocation of Executive Order 
12512 of April 29, 1985, in section 8 of this order.
    Sec. 3. Establishment and Responsibilities of Agency Senior Real 
Property Officer. (a) The heads of all executive branch departments and 
agencies cited in sections 901(b)(1) and (b)(2) of title 31, United 
States Code, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall designate 
among their senior management officials, a Senior Real Property Officer. 
Such officer shall have the education, training, and experience required 
to administer the necessary functions of the position for the particular 
agency.
    (b) The Senior Real Property Officer shall develop and implement an 
agency asset management planning process that meets the form, content, 
and other requirements established by the Federal Real Property Council 
established in section 4 of this order. The initial agency asset 
management plan will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget 
on a date determined by the Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget. In developing this plan, the Senior Real Property Officer shall:
             (i) identify and categorize all real property owned, 
            leased, or otherwise managed by the agency, including, where 
            applicable, those properties outside the United States in 
            which the

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            lease agreements and arrangements reflect the host country 
            currency or involve alternative lease plans or rental 
            agreements;
             (ii) prioritize actions to be taken to improve the 
            operational and financial management of the agency's real 
            property inventory;
             (iii) make life-cycle cost estimations associated with the 
            prioritized actions;
             (iv) identify legislative authorities that are required to 
            address these priorities;
             (v) identify and pursue goals, with appropriate deadlines, 
            consistent with and supportive of the agency's asset 
            management plan and measure progress against such goals;
             (vi) incorporate planning and management requirements for 
            historic property under Executive Order 13287 of March 3, 
            2003, and for environmental management under Executive Order 
            13148 of April 21, 2000; and
             (vii) identify any other information and pursue any other 
            actions necessary to the appropriate development and 
            implementation of the agency asset management plan.
    (c) The Senior Real Property Officer shall be responsible, on an 
ongoing basis, for monitoring the real property assets of the agency so 
that agency assets are managed in a manner that is:
             (i) consistent with, and supportive of, the goals and 
            objectives set forth in the agency's overall strategic plan 
            under section 306 of title 5, United States Code;
             (ii) consistent with the real property asset management 
            principles developed by the Federal Real Property Council 
            established in section 4 of this order; and
             (iii) reflected in the agency asset management plan.
    (d) The Senior Real Property Officer shall, on an annual basis, 
provide to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the 
Administrator of General Services:
             (i) information that lists and describes real property 
            assets under the jurisdiction, custody, or control of that 
            agency, except for classified information; and
             (ii) any other relevant information the Director of the 
            Office of Management and Budget or the Administrator of 
            General Services may request for inclusion in the 
            Government-wide listing of all Federal real property assets 
            and leased property.
    (e) The designation of the Senior Real Property Officer shall be 
made by agencies within 30 days after the date of this order.
    Sec. 4. Establishment of a Federal Real Property Council. (a) A 
Federal Real Property Council (Council) is established, within the 
Office of Management and Budget for administrative purposes, to develop 
guidance for, and facilitate the success of, each agency's asset 
management plan. The Council shall be composed exclusively of all agency 
Senior Real Property Officers, the Controller of the Office of 
Management and Budget, the Administrator of General Services, and any 
other full-time or permanent part-time Federal officials or employees as 
deemed necessary by the Chairman of the Council. The Deputy Director for 
Management of the Office of Management and Budget shall also be a member 
and shall chair the Council. The Office of Management and Budget shall 
provide funding and administrative support for the Council, as 
appropriate.
    (b) The Council shall provide a venue for assisting the Senior Real 
Property Officers in the development and implementation of the agency 
asset management plans. The Council shall work with the Administrator of 
General Services to establish appropriate performance measures to 
determine the effectiveness of Federal real property management. Such 
performance measures shall include, but are not limited to, evaluating 
the costs and benefits involved with acquiring, repairing, maintaining, 
operating, managing, and disposing of Federal real properties at 
particular agencies. Specifically, the Council shall consider, as 
appropriate, the following performance measures:

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             (i) life-cycle cost estimations associated with the 
            agency's prioritized actions;
             (ii) the costs relating to the acquisition of real property 
            assets by purchase, condemnation, exchange, lease, or 
            otherwise;
             (iii) the cost and time required to dispose of Federal real 
            property assets and the financial recovery of the Federal 
            investment resulting from the disposal;
             (iv) the operating, maintenance, and security costs at 
            Federal properties, including but not limited to the costs 
            of utility services at unoccupied properties;
             (v) the environmental costs associated with ownership of 
            property, including the costs of environmental restoration 
            and compliance activities;
             (vi) changes in the amounts of vacant Federal space;
             (vii) the realization of equity value in Federal real 
            property assets;
             (viii) opportunities for cooperative arrangements with the 
            commercial real estate community; and
             (ix) the enhancement of Federal agency productivity through 
            an improved working environment.
    The performance measures shall be designed to enable the heads of 
executive branch agencies to track progress in the achievement of 
Government-wide property management objectives, as well as allow for 
comparing the performance of executive branch agencies against industry 
and other public sector agencies.
    (c) The Council shall serve as a clearinghouse for executive 
agencies for best practices in evaluating actual progress in the 
implementation of real property enhancements. The Council shall also 
work in conjunction with the President's Management Council to assist 
the efforts of the Senior Real Property Officials and the implementation 
of agency asset management plans.
    (d) The Council shall be organized and hold its first meeting within 
60 days of the date of this order. The Council shall hold meetings not 
less often than once a quarter each fiscal year.
    Sec. 5. Role of the General Services Administration. (a) The 
Administrator of General Services shall, to the extent permitted by law 
and in consultation with the Federal Real Property Council, provide 
policy oversight and guidance for executive agencies for Federal real 
property management; manage selected properties for an agency at the 
request of that agency and with the consent of the Administrator; 
delegate operational responsibilities to an agency where the 
Administrator determines it will promote efficiency and economy, and 
where the receiving agency has demonstrated the ability and willingness 
to assume such responsibilities; and provide necessary leadership in the 
development and maintenance of needed property management information 
systems.
    (b) The Administrator of General Services shall publish common 
performance measures and standards adopted by the Council.
    (c) The Administrator of General Services, in consultation with the 
Federal Real Property Council, shall establish and maintain a single, 
comprehensive, and descriptive database of all real property under the 
custody and control of all executive branch agencies, except when 
otherwise required for reasons of national security. The Administrator 
shall collect from each executive branch agency such descriptive 
information, except for classified information, as the Administrator 
considers will best describe the nature, use, and extent of the real 
property holdings of the Federal Government.
    (d) The Administrator of General Services, in consultation with the 
Federal Real Property Council, may establish data and other information 
technology (IT) standards for use by Federal agencies in developing or 
upgrading Federal agency real property information systems in order to 
facilitate reporting on a uniform basis. Those agencies with particular 
IT standards and systems in place and in use shall be allowed to 
continue with such use to the extent that they are compatible with the 
standards issued by the Administrator.
    Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) The Director of the Office of 
Management and Budget shall review, through the management and budget 
review processes, the efforts of departments and agencies in 
implementing

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their asset management plans and achieving the Government-wide property 
management policies established pursuant to this order.
    (b) The Office of Management and Budget and the General Services 
Administration shall, in consultation with the landholding agencies, 
develop legislative initiatives that seek to improve Federal real 
property management through the adoption of appropriate industry 
management techniques and the establishment of managerial accountability 
for implementing effective and efficient real property management 
practices.
    (c) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise 
affect the authority of the Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget with respect to budget, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (d) Nothing in this order shall be construed to affect real property 
for the use of the President, Vice President, or, for protective 
purposes, the United States Secret Service.
    Sec. 7. Public Lands. In order to ensure that Federally owned lands, 
other than the real property covered by this order, are managed in the 
most effective and economic manner, the Departments of Agriculture and 
the Interior shall take such steps as are appropriate to improve their 
management of public lands and National Forest System lands and shall 
develop appropriate legislative proposals necessary to facilitate that 
result.
    Sec. 8. Executive Order 12512 of April 29, 1985, is hereby revoked.
    Sec. 9. Judicial Review. This order is intended only to improve the 
internal management of the executive branch and is not intended to, and 
does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, 
enforceable at law or in equity, against the United States, its 
departments, agencies, or other entities, its officers or employees, or 
any other person.
                                                George W. Bush
 The White House,
 February 4, 2004.

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 9:19 a.m., February 5, 
2004]

Note: This Executive order was published in the Federal Register on 
February 6.