H.R. 2470: Congressional Oversight to Secure Transparency of Relocations Act

This bill, known as the **Congressional Oversight to Secure Transparency of Relocations Act (COST of Relocations Act)**, aims to ensure transparency and accountability in the process of relocating federal jobs or agencies. The key provisions include:

Benefit-Cost Analysis Requirement

Federal agencies are required to perform a benefit-cost analysis before proceeding with any significant relocations of employment positions. Specifically, a relocation is considered "covered" if it involves:

• Moving existing positions outside the local commuting area of the agency.
• Replacing a significant number of positions (over 5% or 100 employees) with new positions located further away.

This analysis must evaluate the potential monetary and non-monetary outcomes of the relocation, assessing whether the benefits outweigh the costs. It must be based on guidelines set forth by the Office of Management and Budget.

Reporting and Oversight

After conducting the analysis, federal agencies must submit an unredacted report to their Office of Inspector General (OIG). The OIG then reviews this report and forwards its findings to Congress within 90 days. This report will include:

• Details about the data used in the analysis and the timeline of stakeholder engagement.
• An explanation of how the relocation is expected to provide benefits and improvements.
• A risk assessment and mitigation strategy.

The results of these analyses and reviews must be made publicly available, ensuring that proprietary or confidential information is excluded.

Committees Involved

The OIG's report is to be submitted to several congressional committees, ensuring multiple levels of oversight, including:

• Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (Senate)
• Committee on Environment and Public Works (Senate)
• Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (House of Representatives)
• Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (House of Representatives)

Maintaining Existing Requirements

This legislation does not eliminate any existing legal requirements related to federal agency relocations; it supplementarily enforces the need for benefit-cost analyses and reports.

Definitions Provided

The bill defines key terms, including:

• Covered relocation: A movement of significant job positions out of the local area or a substantial administrative change within the agency.
• Federal agency: As per the definition provided in a specific government code.

Implementation Timeline and Stakeholder Engagement

Federal agencies are also required to provide a timeline for stakeholder engagement and an assessment of how the relocation might impact those being served and the agency's ability to fulfill its mission.

Relevant Companies

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