[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 155 (Wednesday, December 1, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H7826-H7829]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FEDERAL BUILDINGS PERSONNEL TRAINING ACT OF 2010
Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (S. 3250) to provide for the training of Federal building
personnel, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 3250
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Buildings Personnel
Training Act of 2010''.
SEC. 2. TRAINING OF FEDERAL BUILDING PERSONNEL.
(a) Identification of Core Competencies.--Not later than 18
months after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually
thereafter, the Administrator of General Services, in
consultation with representatives of relevant professional
societies, industry associations, and apprenticeship training
providers, and after providing notice and an opportunity for
comment, shall identify the core competencies necessary for
Federal personnel performing building operations and
maintenance, energy management, safety, and design functions
to comply with requirements under Federal law. The core
competencies identified shall include competencies relating
to building operations and maintenance, energy management,
sustainability, water efficiency, safety (including
electrical safety), and building performance measures.
(b) Designation of Relevant Courses, Certifications,
Degrees, Licenses, and Registrations.--The Administrator, in
consultation with representatives of relevant professional
societies, industry associations, and apprenticeship training
providers, shall identify a course, certification, degree,
license, or registration to demonstrate each core competency,
and for ongoing training with respect to each core
competency, identified for a category of personnel specified
in subsection (a).
(c) Identified Competencies.--An individual shall
demonstrate each core competency identified by the
Administrator under subsection (a) for the category of
personnel that includes such individual. An individual shall
demonstrate each core competency through the means identified
under subsection (b) not later than one year after the date
on which such core competency is identified under subsection
(a) or, if the date of hire of such individual occurs after
the date of such identification, not later than one year
after such date of hire. In the case of an individual hired
for an employment period not to exceed one year, such
individual shall demonstrate each core competency at the
start of the employment period.
(d) Continuing Education.--The Administrator, in
consultation with representatives of relevant professional
societies, industry associations, and apprenticeship training
providers, shall develop or identify comprehensive continuing
education courses to ensure the operation of Federal
buildings in accordance with industry best practices and
standards.
(e) Curriculum With Respect to Facility Management and
Operation of High-Performance Buildings.--Not later than 18
months after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually
thereafter, the Administrator, acting through the head of the
Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings, and the
Secretary of Energy, acting through the head of the Office of
Commercial High-Performance Green Buildings, in consultation
with the heads of other appropriate Federal departments and
agencies and representatives of relevant professional
societies, industry associations, and apprenticeship training
providers, shall develop a recommended curriculum relating to
facility management and the operation of high-performance
buildings.
(f) Applicability of This Section to Functions Performed
Under Contract.--Training requirements under this section
shall apply to non-Federal personnel performing building
operations and maintenance, energy management, safety, and
design functions under a contract with a Federal department
or agency. A contractor shall provide training to, and
certify the demonstration of core competencies for, non-
Federal personnel in a manner that is approved by the
Administrator.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Missouri (Mr. Carnahan) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mario Diaz-
Balart) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.
General Leave
Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks and to include extraneous material on S. 3250.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Missouri?
There was no objection.
Mr. CARNAHAN. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 3250. This bill
has bipartisan sponsorships in the Senate by Senators Carper and
Collins. It is the Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act. The
legislation passed the Senate by unanimous consent, and it is identical
to H.R. 5112, introduced by me and my Republican colleague,
Representative Judy Biggert of Illinois. The bill also passed out of
the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on a voice vote.
At a time when many people are tired of partisan gridlock here in
Washington, I believe this legislation is a good example of what we can
do when we work across the aisle to accomplish commonsense legislation
that will safeguard taxpayer investments, will provide certainty to
small business and, most importantly, will save taxpayers money.
{time} 1650
Madam Speaker, when we invest in our Federal facilities, we also need
to invest in the people operating and maintaining them. The American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act included a substantial investment of $5.5
billion apportioned to the GSA to upgrade its facilities. In order to
safeguard this substantial investment, I want to ensure that GSA and
other Federal agencies have the tools necessary to properly maintain
and operate these buildings at their highest performance levels.
Late last year, a Government Accountability Office report found that
a lack of proper expertise and training was a major challenge for the
Federal Government in reaching its energy reduction goals. This
legislation will fill the training gap. Most importantly, by filling
the training gap, the Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act will
save taxpayer dollars on operations and maintenance costs.
The Federal Government currently consumes about 2 percent of the
Nation's total energy, or about $17.5 billion in annual energy costs.
The potential for cost savings here is huge. In fact, a recent study by
the International Facility Management Association showed that for every
dollar spent on facility management training, organizations reported
receiving an average of $3.95 in return. If we are to be responsible
stewards of taxpayer dollars, in addition to investing in energy-
efficient buildings, we must invest in the people maintaining those
buildings so we can recoup the largest energy and cost savings
possible.
This legislation will help ensure that our Federal buildings are run
in a way that maximizes their performance, assuring that they retain
value throughout their lifecycles and that the taxpayer investments in
these properties are both protected and leveraged to reap the cost
savings involved with efficient operations and management.
I want to personally thank the Republican cosponsor, my colleagues,
Representative Pete Sessions and Representative Judy Biggert, for their
support throughout this process. Representative Biggert and I cochair
the High-Performance Buildings Caucus and we have continually advocated
for the Federal Government to lead by example in high-performance
building practices.
I also want to give special thanks to Chairman Oberstar--for his long
and distinguished leadership on this issue--and to Ranking Member Mica
for their support to bring this bill to the floor.
Madam Speaker, I would like to insert into the Record a support
letter from over 50 of the country's leading building professionals,
manufacturers, and small businesses. They are pleased to support this
legislation and are poised to provide the necessary training to achieve
both public and private sector goals.
[[Page H7827]]
High-Performance Building
Congressional Caucus Coalition,
December 1, 2010.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi,
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Minority Leader John Boehner,
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Re: Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010
Dear Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader Boehner: As the
leading organizations involved in the design, construction,
operation and maintenance of buildings, we applaud Congress's
continued efforts to improve our nation's buildings. We are
particularly pleased to support H.R. 5112/S. 3250, ``Federal
Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010.'' In the final days
of the 111th Congress, we encourage passage of this important
legislation--it has already passed the Senate by voice vote.
As you know, Congress and the President have established
stringent goals for Federal agencies to achieve reductions in
energy and water use and greenhouse gas emissions. Agencies
also have additional needs related to other high-performance
building attributes, including safety and security. Achieving
these goals requires personnel engaged in the design,
construction, operation and maintenance of federal buildings
to have the appropriate skills and training. This bill will
provide federal agencies with these necessary tools with no
significant impact on the deficit.
Federal agencies have long been looked to as an example of
what can be done within the built environment. As the
Nation's largest holder of real estate, the Federal
Government has the opportunity and resources to influence the
development and implementation of building design,
construction, operations and maintenance tools, technologies
and practices. Federal buildings should serve as public
showcases and leading examples of energy efficiency and
indoor environmental quality (IEQ) through their design,
construction, equipment, and operations and maintenance.
As both public and private sector buildings become
increasingly complex to meet our nation's energy and
environmental goals, personnel with the necessary
competencies will be critical to achieving these goals. The
undersigned organizations representing the breadth of the
building community including building professionals,
manufacturers, and small businesses, are pleased to support
this legislation and are poised to provide the necessary
training to achieve both public and private sector goals.
We look forward to continued work with you in realizing the
full potential of high-performance buildings.
Sincerely,
National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS); American
Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning
Engineers (ASHRAE); International Facility Management
Association (IFMA); National Electrical Manufacturers
Association (NEMA); U.S. Green Building Council
(USGBC); International Association of Plumbing and
Mechanical Officials (IAPMO); Federation of American
Scientists (FAS); National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA); International Code Council (ICC);
Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association
(PIMA); American Institute of Architects (AIA); Spray
Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA); United Association--
Union of Plumbers, Fitters, Welders and HVAC Service
Techs; Green Mechanical Council; The Stella Group,
Ltd.; Association for Facilities Engineering (AFE);
Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA);
National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE);
BuildingInsight, LLC; American Council of Engineering
Companies (ACEC); Green Building Initiative (GBI);
Ecobuild America/AEC Science & Technology, LLC;
American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA); Air-
conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute
(AHRI); National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC);
Center for Environmental Innovation in Roofing (CEIR);
The Radiant Panel Association; Carbon Monoxide Safety
Association (COSA); Educational Standards Corporation
Institute (ESCO Institute); HVAC Excellence; Air
Conditioning and Refrigeration Association (AC&R);
Federal Performance Contracting Coalition; Sustainable
Buildings Industry Council (SBIC); National Insulation
Association (NIA); InfoComm International; Building
Intelligence Group; Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning
Contractors National Association, Inc. (SMACNA);
Architecture 2030; LonMark International; Environmental
and Energy Study Institute (EESI); American Society of
Civil Engineers (ASCE); BASF; EIFS Industry Members
Association (EIMA); Plumbing-Heating-Cooling
Contractors--National Association (PHCC); Johnson
Controls; APPA: Leadership in Educational Facilities;
International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD);
The Vinyl Institute; Illuminating Engineering Society
(IES); DuPont; Brick Industry Association; Association
of Energy Engineers (AEE); Siemens.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such
time as I may consume.
=========================== NOTE ===========================
December 1, 2010 on Page H7827 the following appeared: Mr.
LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida
The online version should be corrected to read: Mr. MARIO DIAZ-
BALART of Florida
========================= END NOTE =========================
Madam Speaker, this bill would require, as we have just heard, the
General Services Administration to consult with various professional
associations in order to establish training and certification
requirements for Federal and private personnel who maintain Federal
buildings. Now, the purpose of this bill is a very good one. With all
of the taxpayer money and dollars that have been invested in the high-
performance green buildings, we obviously need to ensure that those
maintaining them are, frankly, properly trained; otherwise, that money
is, frankly, just thrown away. So I want to thank Representative
Carnahan as well as--and he has mentioned also--Representative Biggert
and Representative Sessions for their leadership and work on this
really, really important issue.
There are a few caveats that I just want to put out there, and we
have had this conversation and there is no disagreement here. It is
going to be very important, Madam Speaker, after passage of this
legislation, that we ensure that GSA implements this appropriately. In
particular, it would be important that GSA doesn't develop such broad
training requirements that it becomes, frankly, too costly and
burdensome for small businesses to be able to do that. In addition, it
is going to be really important, Madam Speaker, for GSA to ensure that
conflicts, potential conflicts, conflicts of interest are not created
and that appropriate Federal laws and rules governing advice from
private entities are strictly followed. As this bill is implemented,
our committee will be conducting close oversight to ensure the
requirements in this bill are carried out in a reasonable manner.
I am not going to object to the passage of this legislation. As I
mentioned, I want to thank the sponsors for their hard work.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the chairwoman of
the Federal Buildings Subcommittee of Transportation, Delegate Eleanor
Holmes Norton.
Ms. NORTON. I thank the gentleman for yielding, but I need to thank
him for much more, for not only sponsoring this bill, but for
shepherding this bill. It was not always smooth sailing, but it was
mostly smooth sailing because its underlying purpose is so clear and
necessary. I appreciate that it has been a bipartisan bill both here
and in the Senate. I certainly appreciate its bipartisan sponsorship by
Representative Biggert and you, Mr. Carnahan. I know that this bill
will be gratifying to Mr. Oberstar, who has presided over much of the
building of the Federal inventory during his extraordinary service here
in the House.
May I thank my good friend, the ranking member, Mr. Diaz-Balart, with
whom I've worked so closely and so well since I became chair, for his
work not only on this bill but on the many bills and the many hearings
we have held together.
Madam Speaker, what we have to consider is that the Federal building
inventory amounts to $43 billion of investment of the taxpayers of the
United States over many decades. It is clearly irreplaceable. Some of
it is familiar to us all--the buildings here in Washington, such as the
Justice Department, or your own office building when you go home to
invite in your constituents and to do your constituent service, the
courthouses where you are. But there has been little investment in this
inventory, even inventory close to home.
We had a hearing in our subcommittee that showed scores of violations
in the buildings of the Capitol complex, which I am pleased to say are
now being quickly remedied, but some of them would have endangered the
lives of the millions of people who visit the Capitol every year, not
to mention the many thousands who live here. So this is a particularly
gratifying piece of legislation.
Every year, our committee approves hundreds of millions of dollars in
projects of construction and repair and modernization, nothing,
however, like what we have done recently. Because of the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Congress took the opportunity to invest
in the updating of
[[Page H7828]]
more than $5 billion in GSA inventory which had been untouched and was
a growing backlog. And we didn't simply invest in it by saying fix the
roofs. We said save the taxpayers money by upgrading to state-of-the-
art energy systems so that we save the taxpayers more money than we are
investing today and we begin to catch up on the backlog of many decades
of disinvestment in our own priceless inventory.
So we are upgrading these federally owned facilities with more
energy-efficient and sustainable building components for the first time
in memory. This investment will be important; but if we allow these
buildings to deteriorate as so much of our inventory has, we will pour
the investment right down the drain. That means that you now will have
contractors, subcontractors, yes, and many employees who are being
asked to maintain inventory that has entirely new components of the
kind they have never had to operate and maintain before, because these
are energy-efficient, new state-of-the-art materials.
{time} 1700
In order to maintain this extraordinary investment, this once-in-a-
lifetime investment for the Congress, we will want a workforce that is
trained and operating to keep this inventory at peak performance so
that we don't see it deteriorate before our eyes as we have seen so
much of the Federal inventory.
We now know that design and construction costs, for example,
represent only about 5 or 10 percent of the costs of a facility.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. CARNAHAN. I yield 1 additional minute to the gentlewoman.
Ms. NORTON. But operations and maintenance represents 60 to 85
percent of the costs of a facility over its lifetime. Look what we're
doing here today. We've saved the taxpayer money by investing in energy
efficiency. Now we're going to save money for all of us, and especially
the taxpayers, by investing in what it will take, curriculum and
training, to keep these buildings at peak performance and thereby
maximize our investment.
I thank the gentleman for his hard work and for yielding.
Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Before I recognize the following
distinguished Member, I do want to just mention, I don't know how many
other opportunities as ranking member I'm going to have here on the
floor, and I just want to mention what a privilege it has been to work
with my chairwoman. She has been, frankly, wonderful to work with. We
have enjoyed a great working relationship, and I think that working
relationship has really grown into a bit of a personal friendship. And
I want to thank her for always being exceedingly courteous to me.
And I also need to mention Chairman Oberstar. I was able to speak to
him at length a couple days ago, and I would be remiss if I didn't
mention how much I've enjoyed working with him.
With that, Madam Speaker, I'd like to recognize--she's already been
mentioned a couple of times--the gentlelady from the State of Illinois,
Representative Biggert, for such time as she may consume.
Mrs. BIGGERT. I thank the gentleman for yielding the time.
Madam Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking my colleagues,
Senator Tom Carper and Susan Collins, and especially the cochair of the
Congressional High-Performance Building Caucus, Representative Russ
Carnahan, and also Representative Pete Sessions for all of their hard
work in bringing this bipartisan legislation before us today.
The Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010 will save
taxpayers dollars, it's been mentioned many times, by putting Federal
buildings on the cutting edge of energy efficiency and will help build
expertise among America's workforce needed for tomorrow's green jobs.
As my colleagues are aware, the Federal Government is the Nation's
largest property manager, with more than 500,000 buildings and
structures worldwide. So this bill presents an opportunity to lead by
example and to demonstrate the immense savings and efficiency that can
be achieved by making smart investments in human energy through the
Federal workforce.
This bill will help ensure that Federal buildings are operating at
peak efficiency. It will equip Federal employees who maintain our
buildings with the resources they need to utilize green building
technologies, implement industry best practices, and cut energy costs
for the public.
Madam Speaker, thanks to America's scientists and engineers, we are
making rapid strides in sustainable building technologies and designs.
But the full rewards of this work, both to the environment and to
taxpayers, cannot be realized unless our building managers have the
training to utilize them.
The Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010 will require the
General Services Administration to identify core competencies necessary
for Federal personnel to utilize high-performance building practices
and technologies. The GSA will then work with private industry and
institutions of higher learning to create comprehensive continuing
education courses to ensure that the Federal employees know how to
employ green technologies. This training will ensure that the Federal
Government can meet its energy reduction goals and get a proper return
on taxpayers' investment.
Madam Speaker, American taxpayers are demanding a renewed focus on
eliminating wasteful government spending, and this bipartisan bill
presents an opportunity to do just that while conserving our domestic
energy supply.
The Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act will put us on the
forefront of building technology and transform our Nation's building
stock for years to come. Just as importantly, it makes an investment in
the training of our workforce that will help American workers compete
for the green jobs of tomorrow.
Again, I would like to thank the gentleman from Missouri, my
colleague and cochair of the High-Performance Building Caucus, for his
hard work in bringing forward this bill. And I'd like to thank Chairman
Norton for her support and Ranking Member Mica and particularly
Chairman Oberstar. He will certainly be missed here on this House
floor, and I know that we all wish him well.
I would urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 3250, a
bill to promote professionalism and competency among the ranks of
individuals, both Federal employee and contractor, who operate and
maintain building systems in Federal buildings. For a number of
building operation functions and disciplines, the bill requires the
Administrator of General Services, in consultation with other Federal
agencies and building industry representatives, to identify core
competencies and appropriate training and certifications, which will
enable personnel working in these fields to demonstrate acquisition and
mastery of the skills and knowledge that will help ensure that Federal
buildings perform and are maintained in accordance with industry best
practices.
This Committee has been instrumental, through the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act, in providing the General Services Administration
with $4.5 billion to upgrade Federally owned facilities with more
energy efficient and sustainable building components and systems. S.
3250 is an effort to safeguard this investment, as well as other
Federal investment in energy-efficient building infrastructure, to
ensure that this infrastructure is well maintained and operating at
peak performance.
Findings by the Government Accountability Office and the National
Research Council indicate that, over a building's full life cycle,
operations and maintenance expenses account for 60 to 85 percent of the
total cost of a facility, compared to 10 percent for initial design and
construction. These findings underscore the importance of optimizing
the performance and care of building equipment and components which
play a vital role in the energy efficiency of facilities. By
establishing core competencies for building operations personnel, S.
3250 enhances the likelihood that this optimization occurs. The bill
has the support of the High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus
Coalition, and over 40 building industry associations and professional
societies. Moreover, this legislation helps support energy efficiency
goals established for Federal buildings in the Energy Policy Act of
2005 and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.
On July 29, 2010, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
met in open session to consider the House version of this bill, H.R.
5112, and ordered the bill reported favorably to the House by voice
vote.
[[Page H7829]]
I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting S. 3250.
Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. CARNAHAN. I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Carnahan) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, S. 3250.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________