Smart Space Act of 2026

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7388) to direct the Administrator of General Services to convene consultation meetings to identify alternative financing solutions for the construction of new public buildings that will reduce costs to the Federal Government, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 7388, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 7388, the Smart Space Act of 2026, directs the Administrator of General Services to consult with real estate experts on how alternative financing and public-private partnerships can be used for public building projects to reduce costs to the taxpayer.

Last year, the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024 was signed into law. That legislation included significant public buildings reforms that have the potential to save billions of dollars for taxpayers.

As the GSA and other executive agencies have implemented these reforms to reduce costly space, a key challenge agencies have faced is funding activities that may be needed before buildings can be sold and agencies relocated to less expensive space.

In addition, recent hearings held by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, as well as reports by the Government Accountability Office and the Public Buildings Reform Board, have revealed billions of dollars in liabilities associated with our owned real estate assets due to deferred maintenance accumulated over the years.

We need to identify new funding solutions to these problems that don't rely on increasing taxpayer dollars for the space consolidation efforts.

The Smart Space Act of 2026 directs the GSA, in consultation with real estate experts, to recommend alternative financing solutions and provide a list of projects for which those solutions would make sense. This will provide the President and Congress with information on viable options to address the challenge of acquiring the capital needed to prepare buildings for sale and reduce the liability to the taxpayer.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Burlison) for his leadership on this important issue. I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Burlison), the author of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, this legislation will help identify alternative financing solutions for real estate projects, thereby reducing costs and liabilities to taxpayers.

H.R. 7388 is a commonsense solution that ensures agencies can continue to responsibly reduce the Federal real estate portfolio.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of H.R. 7388, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support my bill, the Smart Space Act of 2026, legislation that modernizes how the Federal Government manages its real estate portfolio.

Today, the Federal Government holds billions of dollars in underutilized and outdated Federal buildings, while hardworking American taxpayers are left to cover the costs of their repair, upkeep, and maintenance.

If Congress is serious about being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars, then Congress must also be serious about how the Federal Government manages its real estate.

This is exactly what the Smart Space Act is designed to do.

The Smart Space Act requires the General Services Administration to convene real estate experts to identify alternative financing solutions for acquisition of or disposal of Federal properties through leveraging public-private partnership.

These partnerships have been used successfully by both the private sector and State governments for years to modernize infrastructure while keeping costs at bay.

Public-private partnerships are proven to lower long-run costs, minimize taxpayer exposure, and deliver reliable infrastructure more efficiently than traditional Federal procurement methods.

Importantly, this legislation does not mandate any new construction or spend a single taxpayer dollar. Instead, it creates a framework for disciplined decisionmaking while retaining full congressional and Presidential oversight.

It also encourages the Federal Government to engage in public-private partnerships, which is both a practical and responsible step toward modernizing our Federal infrastructure while ensuring fiscal discipline.

The Smart Space Act is about doing more with less, respecting the taxpayer, and bringing common sense to how the Federal Government finances its core assets.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Graves for his leadership and commitment to advancing this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7388, the Smart Space Act, as amended.

The General Services Administration's portfolio of owned buildings are now, on average, over 52 years old, and many of the buildings have not undergone any significant modernizations since they were constructed.

In 2025, the GAO reported that GSA has a $6.1 billion deferred maintenance and repair backlog.

In 2026, the Public Buildings Reform Board reported that GSA's backlog was approximately $50 billion. Whether the cost to repair GSA's buildings is $6.1 billion or $50 billion, GSA does not currently have the funding. The Smart Space Act is intended to address this

funding shortfall by directing GSA to identify alternative financing solutions for the construction, renovation, or, when necessary, disposal of public buildings.

GSA already uses alternative financing in the form of public-private partnerships, or ``P3s,'' to procure energy savings and facility improvements with no upfront capital costs or appropriations from Congress.

When used appropriately and when both partners are held accountable, public-private partnership can help deliver high-cost, technically complex projects more quickly, leverage private-sector resources and expertise, and reduce construction and operational risks for the Federal Government.

H.R. 7388, as amended, directs GSA to convene consultation meetings with real estate experts to identify alternative financing solutions for the construction or renovation of public buildings. Learning from experts is always a good thing.

Mr. Speaker, I support this bill and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 7388, the Smart Space Act, as amended, and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.