Bills · HR 7054
REPORTED· 119TH CONGRESS
House BillHR 7054Government buildings, facilities, and propertyDepartment of State
To require the Secretary of State to submit to Congress a notification of certain construction projects using nonstandard designs.
INTRO JAN 14· LAST ACTION JAN 21
READING
2MIN
COSPONSORS
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READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL
NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST
- Introduced only
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 3 / 8Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed House
Passed Senate
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-writtenVoters should care about this bill because building U.S. embassies and consulates overseas costs billions of taxpayer dollars. This bill aims to bring more transparency and accountability to these large construction projects, especially when the State Department opts for potentially more expensive or time-consuming custom designs instead of standardized ones. It gives Congress a clearer picture of why certain design choices are made and how they impact costs, timelines, and security.
If this bill becomes law, the public, through their elected representatives, would have better insight into the justifications for significant spending on diplomatic facilities. If it doesn't become law, the State Department could continue to proceed with nonstandard designs without a mandatory pre-funding notification that includes detailed cost, timeline, and security comparisons, potentially leading to less oversight on how these significant funds are allocated and managed.
KEY PROVISIONS
4AI-extractedPROVISION 01
States that the Department of State's Bureau of Overseas Building Operations should prioritize using standard designs for new U.S. embassies and consulates whenever possible.
This provision sets a general expectation from Congress that standardization should be a primary consideration for these large construction projects, aiming for efficiency.
PROVISION 02
Requires the Secretary of State to notify specific congressional committees at least 15 days before committing funds to any new embassy or consulate project that uses a nonstandard design.
This establishes a mandatory pre-funding oversight mechanism for custom diplomatic building projects, ensuring Congress is informed before significant money is spent.
PROVISION 03
Mandates that the notification for nonstandard designs include a comparison of estimated lifecycle costs, completion dates, and security features between the proposed nonstandard design and a standard design.
This ensures Congress receives critical data points to evaluate the financial, temporal, and safety implications of choosing a nonstandard design.
PROVISION 04
Requires the notification to include a clear justification for selecting a nonstandard design over a standard one, along with supporting documentation.
This compels the State Department to explain its rationale for custom designs, promoting accountability and transparency in decision-making.
SPONSORSHIP
1 + 0
R· California
YRS IN OFFICE
25
BILLS LED
0
ACTION TIMELINE
6 EVENTSJAN 21
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
JAN 21
Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 47 - 0.
JAN 14
Introduced in House
JAN 14
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
BILL INFO
TypeHouse Bill
NumberHR 7054
Congress119th
StatusReported
IntroducedJan 14, 2026
Last actionJan 21, 2026
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REPORTED· 119TH CONGRESS · FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED JAN 14, 2026
House BillHR 7054Government buildings, facilities, and propertyDepartment of State
To require the Secretary of State to submit to Congress a notification of certain construction projects using nonstandard designs.
INTRODUCED JAN 14, 2026· LAST ACTION JAN 21, 2026
PASSAGE CHANCES
—%
READING
2 min
COSPONSORS
0
COMPLEXITY
Moderate
