HR2470-119

What This Bill Does

The COST of Relocations Act creates a pre-relocation review regime for significant federal agency moves and administrative redelegations. Before a covered relocation involving more than the lesser of 5 percent or 100 employees, the agency must conduct a benefit-cost analysis consistent with OMB Circular A-4 guidance, give an unredacted report to its inspector general, and wait for inspector general review and congressional reporting. Required content includes quantified outcomes, metrics, stakeholder effects, employee engagement plans, implementation timelines, staffing and financial needs, risk assessments, mission effects, and National Capital Region real estate comparisons when relevant. Public reports must omit proprietary, trade-secret, and confidential information.

Who Benefits and How

Federal employees affected by large relocations benefit because agencies must analyze commuting-area moves, engagement plans, mission effects, and stakeholder impacts before acting. Congressional oversight committees benefit from inspector general reports with data, assumptions, conclusions, and assessments of whether federal funds are justified. Communities served by relocating agency positions benefit from required analysis of service impacts and stakeholder effects. Federal taxpayers benefit if weak or politically motivated relocations are blocked or improved before money is spent.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Federal agencies planning large relocations must complete benefit-cost analyses, employee engagement plans, risk mitigation plans, and public reports before proceeding. Agency inspectors general must review unredacted relocation analyses and report to Congress within 90 days. Administration officials lose flexibility to move positions quickly without documenting benefits, costs, mission risks, and real estate alternatives. Destination communities seeking relocated federal jobs may face delays while agencies complete the required analyses and reviews.

Key Provisions

• Bars covered federal agency relocations unless the agency first completes a benefit-cost analysis and submits it to the agency inspector general.
• Requires the analysis to follow OMB Circular A-4 economic and social science principles.
• Mandates public agency reports and 90-day inspector general reports to Senate and House oversight committees.
• Defines covered relocations as large redelegations or moves affecting more than the lesser of 5 percent or 100 agency employees.