Federal Legislation Promotes Federal Energy Savings
and Strengthens Building Operations

Federal legislation was signed into law to provide training for federal building personnel in the areas of building operations and maintenance, energy management, safety and design functions.

On December 14, President Obama signed the Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act. The Act was introduced in April 2010 by Reps. Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.) and Judy Biggert (R-Il.) and Sen. Tom Carper (D-De.) and Susan Collins (R-Me.). It was supported by more than 33 leading organizations involved in the design, construction, operation and maintenance of buildings, including IFMA, AFE, ASHRAE, NIBS, NEMA and the Electrical Safety Foundation International.

The legislation will help provide federal workers with the necessary training to construct and maintain environmentally sound buildings. Federal workers will be able to be trained in a series of core competencies relating to building operations, maintenance, energy management, and safety and future performance. Workers can take courses and be able to obtain licenses and certification for their efforts.

Congress and the President have established stringent goals for federal agencies to achieve reductions in energy, water use, and greenhouse gas emissions. Achieving these goals requires personnel engaged in the design, construction, operation and maintenance of federal buildings to have the appropriate skills and training. This bill provides federal agencies with these necessary tools.

IFMA has long recognized the value of certification and training in both building performance and the return on investment associated with hiring certified facility professionals. Currently, the association offers its Certified Facility Manager® and Facility Management Professional designations, and rolls out its new Sustainability Facility Professional credential this Spring.

Recent IFMA research has shown that for every US$1 spent on facility management training, organizations reported receiving an average of US$3.95 in return. By providing for the education and training of federal facility professionals, the government will ensure that facilities are not only an asset, but that they also use less energy, require fewer repairs and save taxpayer dollars in the long run.

“This legislation strengthens the commitment to energy efficiency made by previous congresses and allows the federal government to more effectively manage its substantial inventory of facilities nationwide,” said Francis J. Kuhn, CFM, CFMJ, chair of the IFMA board of directors. “This is recognition that having trained, credentialed personnel implementing best practices and solutions will save millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars, improve the workplace for the nation’s workforce and raise the bar for facility management standards. Working with the government to help create a healthier and improved built environment is a win-win situation for us all.”
“This law is a significant advancement for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of our nation’s federal buildings,” Lynn G. Bellenger, ASHRAE president, said. “ASHRAE applauds the federal government for demonstrating what can be accomplished in building and maintaining energy efficient buildings with excellent indoor environmental quality.”

The Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act of 2010 (S. 3250) directs the Administrator of General Services (GSA) to:

1. identify, annually, the core competencies necessary for federal personnel performing building operations and maintenance, energy management, safety, and design functions to comply with requirements under federal law, including competencies relating to sustainability, water efficiency, electrical safety, and building performance measures; and
   
2. identify a course, certification, degree, license, or registration to demonstrate, and for ongoing training in, each core competency for the appropriate category of personnel. Requires individuals in each category to demonstrate each core competency identified for the category within one year.

Further, it directs the Administrator:

1. to develop or identify comprehensive continuing education courses to ensure the operation of federal buildings in accordance with industry best practices and standards; and
   
2. and the Secretary of Energy to develop, annually, a recommended curriculum relating to facility management and the operation of high-performance buildings.

It also makes training requirements under this Act applicable to non-federal personnel performing building operations and maintenance, energy management, safety, and design functions under contract with a federal agency. Requires a contractor to provide training to, and certify the demonstration of core competencies for, non-federal personnel in a manner that is approved by the Administrator.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that implementing S. 3250 would increase the administrative costs of GSA and other federal agencies by $22 million over the 2011-2015 period assuming the availability of appropriated funds. S. 3250 also could affect direct spending by agencies not funded through annual appropriations, such as the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Bonneville Power Administration.

For more information about high-performance federal buildings, visit the High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus Coalition at www.hpbccc.org

To learn more about IFMA’s government affairs efforts, visit www.ifma.org/government