Federal Personal Property Management Act of 2018

Floor Speech

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Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I am rising in support of the Federal Personal Property Management Act, which would improve the accountability of unneeded equipment, furniture, and information technology resources at Federal agencies.

It may be an appropriate time for us to take up this bill, given all the furniture strewn throughout the floors of the House of Representatives.

The GAO recently found that most agencies do not have procedures in place to identify unneeded personal property on a regular basis. The GSA has issued regulations establishing a governmentwide excess property disposal process, but it lacks the authority to tell agencies how or when to identify excess property. As a result, agencies retain unneeded property that could be used elsewhere in the Federal Government, at State or local governments, or in the private sector.

The report also found there is a wide variation in how Federal agencies classify according to value, which makes it difficult to measure the total value of the government's personal property holdings.

The Federal Personal Property Management Act would direct Federal agencies to assess and inventory more valuable property assets once a year and assets of lower value on a regular basis, according to guidance issued by GSA.

Requiring agencies to regularly inventory their excess property should spur agencies to declare excess property more often, allowing for its disposal.

The bill also would give the GSA authority to establish a uniform standard for how agencies assess their most valuable property, allowing for a better understanding and use of its value.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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