This bill mandates that Congress must approve any sale, transfer, or disposal of federally owned property listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Shomari Figures
Representative
AL-2
This bill mandates that Congress must provide explicit approval before the federal government can sell, transfer, or declare any property listed on the National Register of Historic Places as surplus. This requirement applies to any land, building, structure, or site with historical significance currently owned by the United States. The process requires an agency to submit a formal notice to Congress, which must then pass a joint resolution to authorize the conveyance.
Historic Property Sales Require Congressional OK: New Hurdle for Selling Federal Landmarks
If you’ve ever driven past a massive, old federal building—maybe an abandoned post office or a historic fort—and wondered why the government doesn't just sell it off, this bill is about to make that process a lot more complicated. This legislation mandates that before the executive branch can sell, transfer, or even declare a historic federal property as surplus, they must get explicit approval from Congress first.
The New Gatekeeper for National Landmarks
What counts as “historic property” here? The bill is clear: it’s any land, building, structure, monument, or site that the U.S. government owns and that is, or has ever been, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This isn’t just about a few famous sites; it covers thousands of properties across the country. Currently, federal agencies have some leeway in property management, including how they dispose of unused assets. This bill strips that flexibility away for historic sites.
Under this new rule, if the General Services Administration (GSA) or any other federal agency wants to offload a piece of history—say, an old Coast Guard station or a former courthouse—the responsible official must first send a formal notice to Congress. The sale or transfer can only happen if Congress passes a joint resolution specifically approving that single transaction. Think of it as Congress holding a permanent veto card over every single historic federal property sale.
What This Means for Real-World Management
For history buffs and preservation groups, this is a win. It ensures that the executive branch can’t quietly sell off a historically significant site, potentially to a developer who might tear it down, without a full legislative debate. It forces greater transparency and accountability in managing cultural assets. For example, if a small town was trying to acquire a historic federal building to turn it into a community center, they now have assurance that the decision will be made publicly and transparently by Congress, not just by an agency administrator.
However, this introduces a serious bottleneck for federal agencies. Property management is often about efficiency—getting rid of assets that cost money to maintain but serve no current purpose. If an agency has an unused, deteriorating historic building, they might want to sell it quickly to stop the maintenance costs and get it back on local tax rolls. Now, that sale gets tossed into the legislative blender, which is notoriously slow. The bill doesn't set a hard deadline for Congress to act. If Congress gets tied up and fails to pass the joint resolution, the property stays in expensive limbo, potentially deteriorating further while everyone waits.
For potential private buyers or local governments interested in acquiring these sites, the process just became significantly longer and far more political. They won't just be dealing with the GSA; they'll be waiting on the legislative calendar. This shift concentrates the power to decide the fate of these assets squarely in the hands of Congress, trading administrative efficiency for legislative oversight.