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Judiciary Office Building Development Act

Public Law 100-480 · S. 1934 · 100th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 7, 1988 · Government Operations and Politics

Sponsor: Sen. Daniel Moynihan (D-NY)

Cosponsors (2): Sen. Quentin Burdick,

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Judiciary Office Building Development Act - Establishes the process under which the Architect of the Capitol will select the developer of property for office space for the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, the Federal Judicial Center, the Judicial Panel of Multidistrict Litigation, the United States Sentencing Commission, chambers for retired justices of the Supreme Court, other related offices of the judicial branch, and other persons (including governmental entities).

Subjects all final decisions regarding architectural design of the building to the approval of the Chief Justice of the United States.

Prohibits the Architect from making any payment to any person for any bid or design proposal submitted under the competition.

Specifies limitations on the height, size, and design of the building.

Authorizes the Architect to enter into an agreement with the person selected to develop the judicial building. Provides that all design, development, and construction costs will be at no cost to the United States. Declares that title to the property site will remain in the United States. Provides for the reversion of title to the building and other improvements to the United States at the expiration of not more than 30 years after the Architect enters into a lease agreement.

Allows the building to be connected to the Capitol Power Plant. Specifies construction standards and requires periodic inspections.

Directs the Architect to enter into a lease agreement with the builder for a term of 30 years before entering into the development agreement.

Sets forth responsibilities, after occupancy of such building, with respect to structural and mechanical care, security, and allocation of space. Requires the Administrator of General Services expeditiously to vacate any space occupied in such building by the General Services Administration when notified by the Chief Justice that the judicial branch requires additional space. Requires any other entity in such building to vacate its space within 90 days of such notification.

Establishes the Commission for the Judiciary Office Building to be responsible for the supervision of design, construction, operation, maintenance, structural, mechanical, and domestic care and security of the building to be constructed under this Act.

Amends the National Visitor Center Facilities Act of 1968 to repeal the authority of the Secretary of Transportation with respect to the building property.

Establishes a separate fund in the Treasury for the deposit of amounts available to the Architect to pay expenses under this Act.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 18 actions.

  1. Oct 7, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-480.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Sep 29, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Sep 23, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment by Voice Vote.
  5. Sep 20, 1988FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  6. Aug 12, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  7. Aug 4, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  8. Jul 6, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Public Buildings and Grounds Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  9. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Public Buildings and Grounds Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  10. CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Public Buildings and Grounds Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  11. Jun 23, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Public Buildings and Grounds Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  12. Jun 9, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  13. Jun 7, 1988FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  14. May 24, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
  15. Apr 22, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
  16. Feb 3, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Water Resources, Transportation, Public Buildings, and Economic Development Subcommittee of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
  17. Dec 8, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
  18. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.