Secure Federal LEASEs Act
Public Law 116-276 · S. 1869 · 116th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Dec 31, 2020 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Rob Portman
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Secure Federal Leases from Espionage And Suspicious Entanglements Act or the Secure Federal LEASEs Act
(Sec. 3) This bill instructs the General Services Administration (GSA), the Architect of the Capitol, or any federal agency (other than the Department of Defense and the intelligence community) that has independent statutory leasing authority (federal lessee), before entering into a lease agreement or approving a novation agreement with an entity involving a change of ownership under a lease that will be used for high-security leased space, to require the entity to identify the immediate or highest-level owner of the space and disclose whether that owner is a foreign person or entity, including the country associated with the ownership entity.
A federal lessee shall require the entity to (1) provide such identification and disclosure when first submitting a proposal in response to a solicitation for offers issued by the federal lessee; and (2) update such information annually, including the list of the immediate or highest-level owners of that entity or the information required to be provided related to each such owner.
(Sec. 4) The GSA shall develop a government-wide plan for identifying all immediate, highest-level, or beneficial owners of high-security leased spaces before entering into a lease agreement to accommodate a federal tenant.
(Sec. 5) The bill provides a rule for language in a lease agreement (concerning restriction of access to high-security space) between a federal lessee and an entity to accommodate an agency in a building or improvement used for high-security leased space.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee
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.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
S.Con.Res. 51Related bill
A concurrent resolution correcting the enrollment of S. 1869.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 24 actions.
- Dec 31, 2020Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 116-276.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 21, 2020FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 9, 2020FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 8, 2020Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment to S. 1869 by Unanimous Consent.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to the House amendment to S. 1869 by Unanimous Consent.
- Nov 18, 2020FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendment to Senate bill.
- Nov 17, 2020FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 1869.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Ms. Norton moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Mar 5, 2020CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
- Mar 4, 2020FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
- Mar 3, 2020FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · The committee substitute withdrawn by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Sep 10, 2019CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 196.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 116-92.
- Jun 19, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- Jun 13, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 1459SenateSen. Gary PetersD-MI· offered Mar 3, 2020Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
Mar 3, 2020: Amendment SA 1459 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.