HR 1584119th CongressIn Committee

Democracy in Design Act

Introduced: Feb 25, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Democracy in Design Act would direct the Administrator of General Services (GSA) to ensure that the design of federal public buildings adheres to the guiding principles outlined in the 1962 report “Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture” by the Ad Hoc Committee on Federal Office Space. It requires the Administrator to issue regulations within 180 days to implement this mandate and to establish minimum design standards for public buildings, with a public rulemaking process that includes notice and comment under the Administrative Procedure Act. In short, the bill codifies a requirement that new federal buildings follow a historic set of architectural principles and creates a formal regulatory path to implement those standards.

Key Points

1The bill adds a new directive to Section 3303 of Title 40, establishing that the Administrator must ensure federal building design follows the 1962 Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture.
2It requires the Administrator to promulgate regulations within 180 days to implement the new requirement and to establish minimum design standards for public buildings.
3Regulations must go through a formal rulemaking process with notice and public comment under section 553 of title 5 (the APA).
4The term “Administrator” is defined in the amended section to refer to the Administrator of General Services.
5The guiding principles come from the 1962 report published by the Ad Hoc Committee on Federal Office Space; the bill ties current design decisions to that historic framework.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected: Design and construction of federal public buildings; architects, engineers, planners, and contractors working on GSA projects; GSA’s design and acquisition processes.Secondary group/area affected: Federal agencies involved in facilities planning and administration; design professionals and firms seeking federal work; procurement and budgeting offices that fund or approve building projects.Additional impacts:- Potential influence on architectural styles and design approaches for new and renovated federal buildings, emphasizing the principles from the 1962 guidance.- Creation of new minimum standards and a formal regulatory process could affect cost, timelines, and procurement practices for federal architecture projects.- Increased public participation in setting design standards through the notice-and-comment rulemaking process.

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