S. 353 — Commission to Relocate the Federal Bureaucracy Act

This section establishes a commission, composed of 16 specified federal officials (including the Directors of the Office of Personnel Management and Office of Management and Budget and the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, the Interior, Labor, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs), to study relocating covered agencies (i.e., non-security-related executive agencies as determined by the President) from the Washington, DC metropolitan area to other U.S. locations. The commission must submit a report to Congress within one year of enactment recommending agency transfers, prioritizing a goal of relocating at least 100,000 employees and considering factors such as (1) financial efficiency (e.g., areas with below-average cost of living); (2) adequate infrastructure and available land; (3) alignment with local industries; (4) at least 50% agency telework participation in the prior five years; (5) sufficient technology infrastructure; and (6) location in a qualified opportunity zone or an area meeting distress criteria under the Public Works and Economic Development Act (i.e., low per capita income of 80% or less of the national average, unemployment at least 1% above the national average, severe economic adjustment problems, low median household income of 80% or less of the national average, low workforce participation, or energy transition distress). In developing the report, the commission must consult local stakeholders including state and local officials, business leaders, economic development agencies, and residents.