2024: Fitzpatrick Voted Against Requiring 60 Percent Utilization Of
Federal Buildings. In March 2024, Fitzpatrick voted against ,
according to Congressional Quarterly, "he bill, as amended, that would
that would require the General Services Administration, in coordination
with the Office of Management and Budget, to establish standard
methodologies and identify technologies available for measuring
occupancy in public buildings and federally leased space within 60 days
of the bill's enactment. The bill would require the heads of federal
agencies to work with the GSA to identify, deploy and use sensors and
other technologies in public buildings and federally leased space to
measure their occupancy within 180 days of the measure's enactment. It
would direct the OMB, in consultation with GSA, to ensure building
utilization is at least 60 percent on average over each one-year period,
beginning one year after the bill's enactment and annually thereafter.
It also would require the OMB to submit a plan to Congress and the
Government Accountability Office to consolidate department and agency
headquarters buildings in the National Capital Region which will result
in building utilization of over 60 percent within one year of the
bill's enactment, and implement the plan one year after its submission.
As amended, it would define 'occupancy' to include the total number of
employees actually performing duties in person in a public building or
federally-leased space 40 hours per week. It also would require the GSA
to protect personally identifiable information when using any sensors
under the bill to determine building occupancy." The vote was on
passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 217 to 203. [House Vote
84, 3/12/24;
Congressional Quarterly,
3/12/24; Congressional Actions,
H.R.
6276]