S 353119th CongressIn Committee

Commission to Relocate the Federal Bureaucracy Act

Introduced: Feb 3, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This bill would create a Commission to study relocating non-security federal agencies that are based in the Washington, DC metropolitan area to other locations across the United States. The study would consider a range of factors, including cost of living, existing infrastructure, local industry partnerships, and technology readiness, and would include engagement with local stakeholders. The Commission would be tasked with producing a report within one year that includes recommendations to transfer not fewer than 100,000 employees outside the DC metro area. The bill defines “covered agencies” as those not deemed security-related by the President, and sets out who would serve on the Commission and how it would operate.

Key Points

1Purpose and scope: Establishes a Commission to study relocating covered agencies (non-security-related, as determined by the President) away from the Washington, DC metro area to other areas in the United States.
2Definitions and geography:
3- Covered agency: an agency not security-related per the President’s designation.
4- Washington, DC metropolitan area: includes DC; Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, MD; and Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William Counties, and the City of Alexandria, VA.
5- Telework: as defined by 5 U.S.C. 6501.
6Commission composition: The Commission would include senior federal officials from multiple agencies and offices, including:
7- Director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office
8- Director of the Office of Personnel Management
9- Comptroller General
10- Director of the Office of Management and Budget
11- Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, Transportation, Veterans Affairs
12- Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
13- Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration
14Reporting requirement: The Commission must submit a report to Congress within 1 year after enactment detailing the relocation study and recommendations.
15Evaluation criteria for relocation: In preparing the report, the Commission must consider:
16- Financial efficiency, including whether the area's cost of living is below the national average
17- Availability of adequate pre-existing infrastructure and private land for agency use
18- Presence of existing industries related to the agency’s mission that could foster public-private partnerships
19- Whether at least 50% of the agency's workforce has participated in telework in the 5 years prior to enactment
20- Adequacy of technology infrastructure in the area to support agency operations
21- Whether the area is a Qualified Opportunity Zone or meets economic development criteria (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code or the Public Works and Economic Development Act)
22Community engagement: The Commission must consult with local stakeholders, including state and local governments, business leaders, regional economic development officials, and residents, in developing its findings.
23Relocation target: The report should prioritize a goal of transferring not fewer than 100,000 employees of covered agencies out of the DC metro area.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected:- Federal employees who are part of covered agencies currently based in the Washington, DC metropolitan area- The Washington, DC metro area's economy and labor market, which could be affected by reduced federal employment and related activitySecondary group/area affected:- Potential relocation regions across the United States that could host federal agencies and employees- State and local governments, regional economic development organizations, and local communities that would engage in site selection, incentives, and infrastructure planningAdditional impacts:- Changes to telework practices and federal workforce mobility considerations- Infrastructure and land-use planning needs in candidate relocation areas- Administrative and potential budgetary implications for agencies during any transition, though the bill itself focuses on study rather than immediate funding or mandating relocation- Possible shifts in private-sector partnerships and local industry footprints tied to agency missionsThe bill creates a study and recommendation process, not an immediate transfer directive. Any actual relocation would require additional congressional action, appropriations, and intergovernmental planning.The term “covered agencies” excludes security-related agencies as determined by the President, which shapes the scope of agencies considered for relocation under this act.

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