# Plain Language Summary: Impact of Crime on Public Building Usage Act of 2023

This bill asks the federal government to study how crime and safety concerns are affecting the way federal employees work. Specifically, it directs two government agencies to investigate and report back to Congress within one year about how issues like increased crime, drug use, and homelessness in cities are impacting federal office buildings and the people who work in them.

The first part of the study focuses on federal workers and their buildings. Researchers will look at whether employees are coming into the office less often because they're worried about safety, how crime affects the different ways people get to work (like taking the bus, driving, or walking), and whether empty office buildings create additional safety problems in their neighborhoods. They'll also examine whether any federal agencies have been given special permission to let workers stay home or work remotely because their commutes are considered too dangerous. The second part asks the General Services Administration, which manages federal buildings, to calculate how much money crime and safety issues are actually costing the government in terms of building operations and maintenance.

Essentially, this bill is trying to get a clear picture of whether crime in American cities is pushing federal employees away from offices and what that's costing taxpayers. It's a fact-finding mission rather than a law that directly changes anything—the real impact will depend on what the reports find and whether Congress decides to act on those findings. For most people, this won't have an immediate effect, but it could influence future decisions about federal workplace policies, remote work options, or how the government addresses urban safety issues.

Impact of Crime on Public Building Usage Act of 2023

Chavez-DeRemer, Lori

Impact of Crime on Public Building Usage Act of 2023 This bill requires reports to Congress on the impact of crime and safety concerns on public building usage and associated costs. Specifically, the Government Accountability Office must conduct a review and report on, among other things <ul> <li>the effects of increased crime rates and safety concerns, including the use of fentanyl and other drugs and homelessness, in urban areas on building usage for in-person work at federal buildings;</li> <li>the effects of low office utilization rates on safety around federal buildings; and</li> <li>any costs associated with safety issues impacting federal buildings.</li> </ul> The Office of Inspector General of the General Services Administration must submit to Congress a report on the impacts on and costs associated with building operations related to crime and public safety in and around federal buildings.