Civilian Property Realignment Act of 2011 (H.R. 1734): Analysis of Key Provisions

Garrett Hatch
Analyst in American National Government

In an effort to reduce the costs associated with maintaining thousands of unneeded and underutilized federal buildings, and to generate revenue through the sale of such properties, the 112th Congress is considering several real property reform bills. Perhaps the most comprehensive of these proposals is H.R. 1734, the Civilian Property Realignment Act (CPRA) of 2011. CPRA was introduced on May 4, 2011, and reported by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management on May 25, 2011. CPRA was reported by the full committee on February 1, 2012, and passed by the House on February 7, 2012.

CPRA would establish a new, more centralized process for making decisions regarding the consolidation, reconfiguration, redevelopment, exchange, lease, sale, and conveyance of federal real property—actions collectively referred to as “realignment.” It would apply to all space owned and leased by executive branch agencies and government corporations, although the bill would exclude several categories of properties, including certain military installations, properties excluded for reasons of national security, and properties owned by the United States Postal Service.

The first step in the CPRA process would be for federal landholding agencies to develop recommendations for realigning their real property portfolios, and for reducing operating and maintenance costs. Agencies would submit these recommendations to the Administrator of the General Services Administration and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, along with data on the properties owned and leased by each agency. The OMB Director, in consultation with the Administrator, would review the recommendations, revise them, and then submit the revised recommendations to a newly established Civilian Property Realignment Commission.

The Commission would be composed of nine members, all appointed by the President, with the chairperson requiring the advice and consent of the Senate prior to being seated. The Commission would hold public hearings, conduct its own independent review of agency real property portfolios, analyze the recommendations it received from the Administrator, and submit a final list of recommendations to the President, who may return it to the Commission for revisions, submit it to Congress, or take no action. If Congress passes, and the President signs, a joint resolution approving the Commission’s recommendations, then agencies would be required to begin implementing recommendations within two years of the date the President submitted recommended actions to Congress, and complete them within six years of that date.

This report describes and analyzes each step in the recommendation process, evaluates provisions that are intended to facilitate implementation of the Commission’s recommendations, and provides a discussion of additional transparency measures that may enhance congressional oversight of agency real property portfolios.


Date of Report: February 24, 2012
Number of Pages: 10
Order Number: R41830
Price: $29.95

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