H.R. 3268: Federal Bird Safe Buildings Act of 2025
Sponsor
Morgan Griffith
Republican · VA-9
Bill Progress
Latest Action · May 8, 2025
Assigned to Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management. for review
Stop federal buildings from killing birds
Why it matters
Birds die flying into glass buildings, and the federal government owns thousands of them. H.R. 3268 would require bird-safe design whenever a public building is built, bought, or has more than half its facade rebuilt — and make the GSA certify to Congress every year that it is actually using the new standards.
H.R. 3268, the Federal Bird Safe Buildings Act of 2025, would put the General Services Administration — the agency that builds and manages federal property — in charge of making public buildings safer for birds. The new rules would kick in whenever a building is newly constructed, acquired, or has more than 50 percent of its facade substantially altered.
The GSA would not have to gut every building. The bill uses a flexible standard: bird-safe features get added "to the extent practicable." It is about designing collisions out where it is reasonable, not an absolute mandate.
The heart of the bill is a design guide the GSA has to write and keep updated. It would cover all phases of construction, lay out lighting strategies for interiors, exteriors, and grounds, and spell out best practices — including a written explanation whenever the GSA decides to leave a recommended practice out. Along the way, the GSA would consult bird-conservation experts, outside conservation groups, and green-building certifiers, then send the finished guide to every federal agency with its own leasing authority.
Every year by October 1, the GSA would have to certify to Congress that it is using the guide and file a report. Where practical, that report would assess how many birds died hitting the buildings where agency heads work, plus recommend ways to cut the risk.
Some properties are carved out entirely: anything listed or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, along with the White House, the Supreme Court building, and the U.S. Capitol and their grounds.
H.R. 3268 Bill Summary
What H.R. 3268 actually does.
Bird-safe design kicks in on major projects
The rules apply to public buildings that are newly constructed, acquired, or substantially altered when more than 50 percent of the facade is affected, with the Commissioner of Public Buildings making that call.
GSA writes a government-wide design guide
The Administrator of General Services must develop a design guide covering all construction phases, lighting strategies for interiors, exteriors, and grounds, and best practices for cutting bird collisions, then keep it updated over time.
Skipped best practices have to be justified in writing
When the design guide leaves out a recommended best practice, it must include a written explanation for the omission, creating a paper trail of design choices.
Outside bird experts get a seat at the table
In identifying best practices, the GSA may draw on federal agencies with bird-conservation expertise, nongovernmental conservation organizations, and representatives of green-building certification systems.
Yearly certification and report to Congress
By October 1 of each fiscal year, the GSA must certify to Congress that it is using the design guide and file a report that, where practical, assesses bird fatalities at buildings occupied by agency heads and recommends ways to reduce the risk.
Historic and iconic buildings are exempt
The rules do not apply to properties listed or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, nor to the White House, the Supreme Court building, or the U.S. Capitol and their grounds.
Who benefits from H.R. 3268?
Migratory and urban birds
Birds that fly into glass-heavy buildings would face fewer fatal collisions as new, acquired, and heavily renovated federal buildings add collision-reduction features and rethink interior, exterior, and site lighting.
Federal architects and building managers
Instead of guessing, they would get a single GSA design guide distributed to every federal agency with independent leasing authority and updated on a regular basis.
Bird-conservation groups and green-building certifiers
Conservation organizations and green-building certification representatives would be consulted as the GSA identifies the best practices that go into the design guide.
Congress and oversight advocates
They would get yearly accountability: the GSA must certify compliance and file an annual October 1 report with both compliance data and bird-fatality assessments.
Who is affected by H.R. 3268?
General Services Administration
The Administrator becomes the lead official — responsible for writing the design guide, distributing it across the government, keeping it updated, gathering compliance information, certifying to Congress, and filing the annual October 1 report.
Commissioner of Public Buildings
The Commissioner determines when a project crosses the 50 percent facade threshold and serves as the channel through which compliance information is gathered.
Federal agencies with independent leasing authority
Agencies, subagencies, and departments that lease their own space would receive the design guide and be expected to use it for covered public buildings.
Managers of exempt historic and iconic properties
Properties listed or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, along with the White House, the Supreme Court, and the Capitol, fall outside the bill, so their managers face no new bird-safe requirements.
HR3268 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
May 8, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
About the Sponsor
Morgan Griffith
Republican, Virginia's 9th congressional district · 15 years in Congress
Committees: House Select Subcommittee to Investigate the Remaining Questions Surrounding January 6, 2021, Energy and Commerce, House Administration
View full profile →
Cosponsors (5)
All 5 cosponsors are Democrats. Cosponsors represent 5 states: Illinois, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and 2 more.
Committee Sponsors
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
2 of 66 committee members cosponsored
35 Republicans across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
H.R. 3268 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Transportation and Infrastructure
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Government Operations and Politics
- Introduced
- May 8, 2025
Assigned to Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management. for review
May 8, 2025
Official Sources
Official bill page with text, actions, sponsors, and legislative status for the Federal Bird Safe Buildings Act of 2025.
GSA's P100 is the mandatory design standard for the Public Buildings Service, the same body of guidance the bill's required bird-safe design guide would sit alongside for covered federal buildings.
FWS is a federal agency with bird-conservation expertise the bill lets the GSA consult, and this page lays out the kind of best practices the design guide would draw on.
This National Park Service page is relevant because the bill exempts buildings and sites listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
The bill specifically references interior, exterior, and site lighting, and this official NPS program provides federal guidance relevant to reducing harmful lighting impacts.
H.R. 3268 Common Questions
Which federal building projects trigger bird-safe design under H.R. 3268?
The rules kick in when a public building is newly constructed, acquired, or has more than 50% of its facade substantially altered — and the Commissioner of Public Buildings decides when that 50% threshold is crossed.
Does H.R. 3268 force changes to existing federal buildings?
No. An existing building is only covered if it gets acquired or substantially renovated — more than half its facade. Buildings that just keep operating as-is don't trigger any new bird-safe requirements.
Is bird-safe design a hard mandate or a flexible standard?
It's flexible. The GSA must add bird-safe features 'to the extent practicable,' so it's about designing collisions out where it's reasonable rather than an absolute requirement on every project.
Which buildings are exempt from the Federal Bird Safe Buildings Act of 2025?
Exempt properties include anything listed or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, plus the White House, the Supreme Court building, and the U.S. Capitol and their grounds.
What would the federal bird-safe design guide actually cover?
The GSA's design guide would address all construction phases, lighting strategies for interiors, exteriors, and grounds, and best practices for cutting collisions — plus a written explanation whenever a recommended practice is left out.
What does H.R. 3268 require the GSA to report to Congress?
By October 1 each year, the GSA must certify that it's using the design guide for covered buildings and file a report that — where practical — assesses how many birds died hitting buildings where agency heads work, with recommendations to cut the risk.
Who does the GSA have to consult on bird-safe best practices?
In identifying best practices, the GSA may draw on federal agencies with bird-conservation expertise, nongovernmental conservation organizations, and representatives of green-building certification systems.
Does H.R. 3268 make the GSA explain why it skips a best practice?
Yes. When the design guide leaves out a recommended best practice, it has to include a written explanation for the omission — creating a paper trail of the GSA's design choices.
Based on H.R. 3268 bill text
H.R. 3268 Bill Text
“To amend title 40, United States Code, to direct the Administrator of General Services to incorporate practices and strategies to reduce bird fatalities resulting from collisions with certain public buildings, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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