Federal Bird Safe Buildings Act of 2021

“3319. Use of bird-safe features, practices, and strategies in public buildings

“(a) Construction, alteration, and acquisition of public buildings—The Administrator of General Services (referred to in this section as the “Administrator”) shall incorporate, to the extent practicable, features, practices, and strategies to reduce bird fatalities resulting from collisions with public buildings for each public building—

“(1) constructed;

“(2) acquired; or

“(3) of which more than 50 percent of the facade is substantially altered, as determined by the Commissioner of Public Buildings.

“(b) Design guide—The Administrator shall develop a design guide to carry out subsection (a) that includes the following:

“(1) Features for reducing bird fatalities resulting from collisions with public buildings throughout all construction phases, taking into account the number of bird fatalities that occur at different types of public buildings.

“(2) Methods and strategies for reducing bird fatalities resulting from collisions with public buildings during the operation and maintenance of those buildings, including installing interior, exterior, and site lighting.

“(3) Best practices for reducing bird fatalities resulting from collisions with public buildings, including—

“(A) a description of the reasons for adopting the practices; and

“(B) an explanation for the omission of a best practice identified under subsection (c).

“(c) Identifying best practices—To carry out subsection (b)(3), the Administrator may identify best practices for reducing bird fatalities resulting from collisions with public buildings, including best practices recommended by—

“(1) Federal agencies with expertise in bird conservation;

“(2) nongovernmental organizations with expertise in bird conservation; and

“(3) representatives of green building certification systems.

“(d) Dissemination of design guide—The Administrator shall disseminate the design guide developed under subsection (b) to all Federal agencies, subagencies, and departments with independent leasing authority from the Administrator.

“(e) Update to design guide—The Administrator shall, on a regular basis, update the design guide developed under subsection (b) with respect to the priorities of the Administrator for reducing bird fatalities resulting from collisions with public buildings.

“(f) Exempt buildings—This section shall not apply to—

“(1) any building or site listed, or eligible for listing, on the National Register of Historic Places;

“(2) the White House and the grounds of the White House;

“(3) the Supreme Court building and the grounds of the Supreme Court; or

“(4) the United States Capitol and any building on the grounds of the Capitol.

“(g) Certification—Not later than October 1 of each fiscal year, the Administrator, acting through the Commissioner of Public Buildings, shall certify to Congress that the Administrator uses the design guide developed under subsection (b) for each public building described in subsection (a).

“(h) Report—Not later than October 1 of each fiscal year, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a report that includes—

“(1) the certification under subsection (g); and

“(2) to the extent practicable, the number of bird fatalities that occurred as a result of a collision with the public buildings occupied by each Federal agency.”