H.R. 2190House115th Congress (2017-2019)Passed House

Streamlining DHS Overhead Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 15, 2026 at 3:10 PM UTC

The Streamlining DHS Overhead Act amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to improve how the Department of Homeland Security manages its real‑property portfolio. It creates a senior Chief Facilities and Logistics Officer and requires the department to develop and follow multi‑year regional property strategies. The changes affect DHS leadership, component heads, and ultimately aim to reduce leased space, consolidate facilities, and lower overhead costs.

Key Provisions

Creates a Chief Facilities and Logistics Officer, a senior executive who reports to the Under Secretary for Management and oversees real‑property, facilities, and related assets.
Mandates the Under Secretary for Management to produce an initial five‑year regional real‑property strategy within 180 days and a second five‑year strategy later, focusing on consolidation and cost reduction.
Requires component heads to certify compliance with the strategies before making any major real‑property decisions, such as new leases or construction.
Establishes regional property managers as single points of contact for real‑property matters and requires annual data reporting on space use, costs, and underutilized space.
Directs the Under Secretary to develop or update department‑wide policies to implement the strategies within 90 days of each strategy’s completion.
Calls for annual congressional reporting on real‑property holdings, underutilized space, and consolidation actions, with IG review after five years.
Allows exceptions to workspace standards when reducing space would harm mission readiness or increase costs.

Legislative Activity

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12 earlier actions

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

June 21, 2017

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

April 27, 2017

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.

Homeland Security Committee

April 27, 2017

HouseCommittee

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

Homeland Security Committee

May 3, 2017

HouseCommittee

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

Homeland Security Committee

May 3, 2017

HouseCommittee

Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Homeland Security. H. Rept. 115-184.

Homeland Security Committee

June 20, 2017

HouseCalendars

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 125.

June 20, 2017

HouseFloor

Mr. Rutherford moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

June 20, 2017 • 7:11 PM

HouseFloor

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H4982-4984)

June 20, 2017 • 7:11 PM

HouseFloor

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2190.

June 20, 2017 • 7:11 PM

HouseFloor

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H4982-4983)

June 20, 2017 • 7:16 PM

HouseFloor

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4982-4983)

June 20, 2017 • 7:16 PM

HouseFloor

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

June 20, 2017 • 7:17 PM

SenateIntro Referral

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

June 21, 2017

Floor Debate

2 members

What members said about H.R. 2190 on the floor

1 Republican1 Democrat

Rep. John H. RutherfordR-FL-4 · Jun 20, 2017

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2190) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Under Secretary for Management of the Department of Homeland Security to make certain improvements in managing the Department's real property portfolio, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2190, the Streamlining DHS Overhead Act.

Despite being the Nation's third largest Federal department, the Department of Homeland Security continues to struggle with challenges from its integration of 22 different Federal departments and agencies.

One example of these challenges is the Department's management of its real estate portfolio. DHS pays $2 billion a year to occupy more than 100 million square feet of space. Weak internal oversight and a lack of property management processes have further intensified the problem.

Collaboration and coordination is important in these instances, and doing nothing has led to a footprint larger than what DHS needs to carry out its mission.

This legislation directly addresses these challenges by mandating the development of regional real property strategies that focus on consolidating leases, where appropriate, to the mission. It also gives the Under Secretary for Management oversight tools to ensure DHS property is being managed efficiently.

Another important part of this legislation is its outlining of responsibilities for the Chief Facilities and Logistics Officer to achieve cost savings.

As we have seen from the 2-year majority staff investigation, increased accountability and promoting efficiency is needed so DHS can more effectively use its resources to focus on its mission of securing the homeland while also saving taxpayer funds.

Improving the Department's operation and promoting efficiencies within its real property portfolio is an issue that both sides of the aisle and the Department should be able to work together on.

H.R. 2190 is commonsense legislation. I urge my colleagues' support.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2190, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Rep. Bennie G. ThompsonD-MS-2 · Jun 20, 2017

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2190, the Streamlining DHS Overhead Act. Each year, the Department of Homeland Security spends nearly…

Bill Text

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Referred in SenateIssued June 21, 2017

IIB

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 2190

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 21, 2017

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

AN ACT

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Under Secretary for Management of the Department of Homeland Security to make certain improvements in managing the Department’s real property portfolio, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Streamlining DHS Overhead Act.

Long term real property strategies

(a)

In general

Title VII of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 341 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new sections:

710.

Chief Facilities and Logistics Officer

(a)

In general

There is a Chief Facilities and Logistics Officer of the Department who shall report directly to the Under Secretary for Management. The Chief Facilities and Logistics Officer shall be career reserved for a member of the senior executive service.

(b)

Responsibilities

The Chief Facilities and Logistics Officer shall—

(1)

develop policies and procedures and provide program oversight to manage real property, facilities, personal property, mobile assets, equipment, and other material resources of the Department;

(2)

manage and execute, in consultation with the component heads, mission support services within the National Capital Region for real property, facilities, and other common headquarters and field activities for the Department; and

(3)

provide tactical and transactional services for the Department, including transportation, facility operations, and maintenance.

711.

Long term real property strategies

(a)

In general

(1)

First strategy

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Under Secretary for Management shall develop an initial 5-year regional real property strategy for the Department that covers the five fiscal years immediately following such date of enactment. Such strategy shall be geographically organized, as designated by the Under Secretary for Management.

(2)

Second strategy

Not later than the first day of the fourth fiscal year covered by the first strategy under paragraph (1), the Under Secretary for Management shall develop a second 5-year real property strategy for the Department that covers the five fiscal years immediately following the conclusion of such first strategy.

(b)

Requirements

(1)

Initial strategy

The initial 5-year strategy developed in accordance with paragraph (1) of subsection (a) shall—

(A)

identify opportunities to consolidate real property, optimize the usage of Federal assets, and decrease the number of commercial leases and square footage within the Department’s real property portfolio;

(B)

provide alternate housing and consolidation plans to increase efficiency through joint use of Department spaces while decreasing the cost of leased space;

(C)

concentrate on geographical areas with a significant Department presence, as identified by the Under Secretary for Management;

(D)

examine the establishment of central Department locations in each such geographical region and the co-location of Department components based on the mission sets and responsibilities of such components;

(E)

identify opportunities to reduce overhead costs through co-location or consolidation of real property interests or mission support activities, such as shared mail screening and processing, centralized transportation and shuttle services, regional transit benefit programs, common contracting for custodial and other services, and leveraging strategic sourcing contracts and sharing of specialized facilities, such as training facilities and resources;

(F)

manage the current Department Workspace Standard for Office Space in accordance with the Department office workspace design process to develop the most efficient and effective spaces within the workspace standard usable square foot ranges for all leased for office space entered into on or after the date of the enactment of this section, including the renewal of any leases for office space existing as of such date;

(G)

define, based on square footage, what constitutes a major real property acquisition;

(H)

prioritize actions to be taken to improve the operations and management of the Department’s real property inventory, based on life-cycle cost estimations, in consultation with component heads; and

(I)

include any additional information determined appropriate or relevant by the Under Secretary for Management.

(2)

Second strategy

The second 5-year strategy developed in accordance with paragraph (2) of subsection (a) shall include information required in subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), (E), (F), (G), (H), and (I) of paragraph (1) and information on the effectiveness of implementation efforts pursuant to the Department-wide policy required in accordance with subsection (c), including—

(A)

the impact of such implementation on departmental operations and costs; and

(B)

the degree to which the Department established central Department locations and co-located Department components pursuant to the results of the examination required by subparagraph (D) of paragraph (1).

(c)

Implementation policies

Not later than 90 days after the development of each of the regional real property strategies developed in accordance with subsection (a), the Under Secretary for Management shall develop or update, as applicable, a Department-wide policy implementing such strategies.

(d)

Certifications

Subject to subsection (g)(3), the implementation policies developed pursuant to subsection (c) shall require component heads to certify to the Under Secretary for Management that such heads have complied with the requirements specified in subsection (b) before making any major real property decision or recommendation, as defined by the Under Secretary, including matters related to new leased space, renewing any existing leases, or agreeing to extend or newly occupy any Federal space or new construction, in accordance with the applicable regional real property strategy developed in accordance with subsection (a).

(e)

Underutilized space

(1)

In general

The implementing policies developed pursuant to subsection (c) shall require component heads, acting through regional property managers under subsection (f), to annually report to the Under Secretary for Management on underutilized space and identify space that may be made available for use, as applicable, by other components or Federal agencies.

(2)

Exception

The Under Secretary for Management may grant an exception to the workspace standard usable square foot ranges described in subsection (b)(1)(F) for specific office locations at which a reduction or elimination of otherwise underutilized space would negatively impact a component’s ability to execute its mission based on readiness performance measures or would increase the cost of such space.

(3)

Underutilized space defined

In this subsection, the term underutilized space means any space with respect to which utilization is greater than the workplace standard usable square foot ranges pursuant to subsection (b)(1)(F).

(f)

Component responsibilities

(1)

Regional property managers

Each component head shall identify a senior career employee of each such component for each geographic region included in the regional real property strategies developed in accordance with subsection (a) to serve as each such component’s regional property manager. Each such regional property manager shall serve as a single point of contact for Department headquarters and other Department components for all real property matters relating to each such component within the region in which each such component is located, and provide data and any other support necessary for the DHS Regional Mission Support Coordinator strategic asset and portfolio planning and execution.

(2)

Data

Regional property managers under paragraph (1) shall provide annually to the Under Secretary for Management, via a standardized and centralized system, data on each component’s real property holdings, as specified by the Undersecretary for Management, including relating to underutilized space under subsection (e) (as such term is defined in such subsection), total square footage leased, annual cost, and total number of staff, for each geographic region included in the regional real property strategies developed in accordance with subsection (a).

(g)

Ongoing oversight

(1)

In general

The Under Secretary for Management shall monitor components’ adherence to the regional real property strategies developed in accordance with subsection (a) and the implementation policies developed pursuant to subsection (c).

(2)

Annual review

The Under Secretary for Management shall annually review the data submitted pursuant to subsection (f)(2) to ensure all underutilized space (as such term is defined in subsection (e)) is properly identified.

(3)

Certification review

The Under Secretary for Management shall review, and if appropriate, approve, component certifications under subsection (d) before such components may make any major real property decision, including matters related to new leased space, renewing any existing leases, or agreeing to extend or newly occupy any Federal space or new construction, in accordance with the applicable regional real property strategy developed in accordance with subsection (a).

(4)

Congressional reporting

The Under Secretary for Management shall annually provide information to the Committee on Homeland Security and Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, and the Inspector General of the Department on the Department’s real property portfolio, including information relating to the following:

(A)

A summary of the Department’s real property holdings in each region described in the regional strategies developed in accordance with subsection (a), and for each such property, information including the total square footage leased, the total cost, the total number of staff at each such property, and the square foot per person utilization rate for office space (and whether or not such conforms with the workspace standard usable square foot ranges established pursuant to subsection (b)(1)(F)).

(B)

An accounting of all underutilized space (as such term is defined in subsection (e)).

(C)

An accounting of all instances in which the Department or its components consolidated their real property holdings or co-located with another entity within the Department.

(D)

A list of all certifications provided pursuant to subsection (d) and all such certifications approved pursuant to paragraph (3) of this subsection.

(5)

Inspector General review

Not later than 120 days after the last day of the fifth fiscal year covered in each of the initial and second regional real property strategies developed in accordance with subsection (a), the Inspector General of the Department shall review the information submitted pursuant to paragraph (4) and issue findings regarding the effectiveness of the implementation of the Department-wide policy and oversight efforts of the management of real property facilities, personal property, mobile assets, equipment and the Department’s other material resources as required under this section.

(b)

Reporting

The Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate copies of the regional strategies developed in accordance with section 710(a) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (as added by subsection (a) of this section) not later than 90 days after the date of the development of each such strategy.

(c)

Clerical amendment

The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 709 the following new items:

Sec. 710. Chief Facilities and Logistics Officer.

Sec. 711. Long term real property strategies.

Passed the House of Representatives June 20, 2017.

Karen L. Haas,

Clerk.