TREASURY DIRECTIVE 72-03

DATE:  November 16, 2021

SUBJECT:  Location of New Offices and Facilities in Rural Areas

  1. PURPOSE.  This Directive establishes policy, procedures, and responsibilities for locating new Treasury offices and other facilities in rural areas.
  2. SCOPE.  This Directive applies to all bureaus, offices, and organizations in the Department of the Treasury, including the Offices of Inspector General within the Department. The provisions of this Directive shall not be construed to interfere with or impede the authorities or independence of the Department’s Inspectors General.
  3. POLICY.  It is the policy of the Department of the Treasury that all bureaus and offices give priority to locating new Treasury offices and other facilities in rural areas, subject to the following considerations and exclusions, unless there are substantial reasons for not doing so.
    1. Considerations. When determining the feasibility of locating facilities in rural areas, express consideration, consistent with this policy, shall be given to the:
      1. 1) efficient performance of the Department's missions and programs, in accordance with the statutes, regulations, and policies as well as the nature and functions of the facilities involved, with due regard for the convenience of the public served, and to the maintenance and improvement of safe and healthy employee working conditions;
      2. 2) environmental and socioeconomic impacts on the employees and communities involved;
      3. 3) need for development and redevelopment of areas consistent with State, regional and local plans, and programs (see Executive Order (E.O.) 12072, Federal Space Management; E.O. 13006, Locating Federal Facilities on Historic Properties in Our Nation’s Central Cities); and
      4. 4) use of existing government-owned facilities which are adequate or economically adaptable to the efficient performance of the Department's programs.
    2. Exclusions. This policy does not apply to:
      1. 1) facilities acquired pursuant to statutory authority, where locating the facility in a rural area would be inconsistent with statutory language or Congressional intent;
      2. 2) facilities acquired for temporary occupancy of one year or less;
      3. 3) vacant land acquisitions on which no construction is planned; or
      4. 4) permanent post of duty facilities used intermittently by personnel whose duties require their absence from the office for extended periods of time.
    3. Except as may be otherwise required by statute or an applicable external regulation, approval to establish or relocate facilities in “other than rural areas” shall be obtained when the request concerns a major facility acquisition; and/or significant organizational changes which involve geographic, regional adjustments requiring approval by Departmental supervisory policy officials (see Treasury Directive (TD) 21-01, "Organizational Changes"); and/or a program activity which involves, in its entirety, fifty or more employees.
    4. Requests for approval shall be submitted to the respective IG (for IG offices) or the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Treasury Operations (for bureaus) at least sixty days before the proposed effective date and must contain the following information:
      1. 1) a brief description of the type of program activity concerned, the number of employees involved, and the reason(s) for establishing or relocating the facility;
      2. 2) a brief description of program activity requirements that affect the location selection, including (if applicable) a description of the area to be served by the facility; and
      3. 3) a comparative analysis of alternative locations, which briefly discusses considerations such as the following (including real estate, labor, and other operational costs when appropriate) in relation to each alternative location:
        1. a) program implementation:
          1. (1) impact on program activity due to loss of employees not relocated, and the availability of workers to replace those lost due to relocation;
          2. (2) impact on agreed and required coordination with other Treasury organizations, Federal agencies, and State and local governments;
          3. (3) the proximity to supporting services (equipment maintenance and supply, mail, etc.); and
          4. (4) the proximity to the public to provide efficient service and support.
        2. b) socioeconomic impacts:
          1. (1) relocation of employees to new location;
          2. (2) availability of low-and-moderate-income housing on a nondiscriminatory basis for employees;
          3. (3) location and adequacy of medical facilities, schools, recreation facilities and other public services, and the convenience of the facility to the public and employees, including the availability and adequacy of transportation; and community development or redevelopment impact, including environmental implications and locality incentives.
  4. RESPONSIBILITIES.
    1. The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Treasury Operations, as the Senior Real Property Officer (SRPO) for the Department, has responsibility for approving bureau requests to establish or to relocate facilities in other than rural areas when the requests concern facilities covered under paragraph 3.c. The Inspectors General have responsibility for approving such requests within their respective offices.
    2. The Real Property Asset Manager within the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Treasury Operations is responsible for:
      1. 1) reviewing bureau requests for Departmental approval of locations covered under paragraph 3.c. for compliance with applicable laws, regulations, executive orders, and this directive. This review shall involve coordination with appropriate Departmental supervisory policy and legal officials;
      2. 2) providing recommendations for the SRPO’s approval or disapproval of bureau location requests covered under paragraph 3.c.; and,
      3. 3) conducting periodic reviews of bureau implementing instructions and records for compliance, to include records for “other than rural area” establishment or relocation of facilities covered and not covered under paragraph 3.c.
  5. CANCELLATION.  TD 72-03, Location of New Offices and Other Facilities in Rural Areas, dated July 14, 2004, is superseded.
  6. AUTHORITIES/REFERENCES.
    1. The Rural Development Act of 1972, as amended (codified in relevant part at 7 U.S.C. 2204b-1).
    2. Competition in Contracting Act of 1984.
    3. Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, 5 U.S.C.A. App. 3.
    4. E.O. 12072, Federal Space Management, dated August 16, 1978.
    5. E.O. 13006, Locating Federal Facilities on Historic Properties in Our Nation’s Central Cities, dated May 21, 1996.
    6. 41 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 102-83, Location of Space, 67 Fed. Reg. 76880 (2002).
    7. Federal Management Regulation Bulletin 2003-B1, Locating Federal Facilities in Rural Areas, 68 Fed. Reg. 2776 (2003).
    8. Letter of September 7, 1976, from the Acting Comptroller General to the Secretary of the Treasury regarding Treasury's implementation of and compliance with the Agricultural Act of 1970.
    9. Treasury Directive 21-01, Organizational Changes.
    10. Treasury Directive 72-02, Acquisition, Utilization, and Disposal of Treasury Real Property Assets.
    11. Treasury Order 101-05, Reporting Relationships and Supervision of Officials, Offices and Bureaus, Delegation of Certain Authority in the Department of the Treasury.
    12. U.S. General Accounting Office Report (B-114873), Progress and Problems in Giving Rural Areas First Priority When Locating Federal Facilities, dated September 7, 1976.
    13. U.S. General Accounting Office Report (GAO-01-805), Facilities Location: Agencies Should Pay More Attention to Costs and Rural Development Act, dated July 31, 2001.
  7. OFFICE OF PRIMARY INTEREST.  Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Treasury Operations, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Management.

 

/S/
Trevor Norris
Acting Assistant Secretary for Management