Federal Government Policy and Business

DRAIN Act would move non-security agencies out of Washington

Federal News Radio: Another lawmaker has proposed legislation to re-locate non-security government agencies out of the Washington metropolitan area. The decentralization move by Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) would authorize the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to come up with a plan for moving non-security agencies away from Washington by 2029 — or whenever the agency headquarters’ lease expires. Young’s DRAIN (Decentralize Regulatory Agencies, Include the Nation) Act would have the OMB director and the administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA) determine where a particular organization should move. Earlier this year, Rep. Luke Messer (R-Ind.) introduced the Strategic Withdrawal of Agencies from Meaningful Placement (SWAMP) Act, which would establish a bidding process for states and municipalities to compete for the relocation of a federal agency’s headquarters.

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