Bird-Safe Buildings Act of 2019

Bird-Safe Buildings Act of 2019

This bill requires each public building constructed, acquired, or of which more than 50% of the facade is substantially altered by the General Services Administration (GSA) to meet the following standards:

• at least 90% of the exposed facade material from ground level to 40 feet shall not be composed of glass or shall be composed of glass which employs any combination of the methods of modification described in this bill;
• at least 60% of the exposed facade material above 40 feet shall meet such modified glass standard;
• there shall not be any transparent passageways or corners;
• all glass adjacent to atria or courtyards containing water features, plants, and other materials attractive to birds shall meet the standard; and
• outside lighting shall be appropriately shielded and minimized subject to security and other mission related requirements.

The GSA must (1) ensure that actual bird mortality is monitored at each public building; and (2) reduce exterior building and site lighting for each public building, where practicable and consistent with the requirements for outside lighting.

The bill exempts from these requirements buildings and sites listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, the White House and its grounds, the Supreme Court building and its grounds, and the U.S. Capitol and its related buildings and grounds.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov