§ 143-341.2.  Proactive management of State-owned and State-leased real property portfolio.

(a) Duties of the Department of Administration. - The Department of Administration shall have the following powers and duties:

(1) Development of comprehensive State facilities plan. - No later than April 1, 2023, and every five years thereafter, the Department of Administration shall develop and implement a plan to comprehensively manage, acquire, and dispose of the facilities and spaces required to fully support State government operations. The plan shall do all of the following:

a. Identify the type, quantity, and location of facilities and spaces required to fully support State government operations.

b. Include an in-depth analysis of existing State-owned facilities' locations, capability, utilization, and condition.

c. Establish strategic priorities and objectives that allow the Department of Administration to manage the performance of the State's portfolio of real property in a way that maximizes the utilization of State-owned facilities and minimizes operating and maintenance costs.

d. Take into consideration the information provided to the Department in five-year real property management plans submitted by State agencies pursuant to subdivision (b)(4) of this section.

e. Provide a mechanism for allocating available facilities or space to State agencies that need it in a manner that reduces the need to acquire new space through purchase, lease, or other means.

f. Provide recommendations for disposing of existing State property and facilities, consolidating operations among existing facilities, and relocating State agencies from leased facilities to State-owned facilities.

g. Describe all changes made to space planning standards developed and distributed as provided in subdivision (4) of this subsection.

(2) Development of performance management system. - The Department of Administration shall establish a performance management system to measure the State's achievement of the priorities and objectives set forth in plans developed pursuant to subdivision (1) of this section. The system shall set measurable goals and deadlines and shall be designed to focus on optimization and efficiency of the State's portfolio of real property. The system shall be used to report the information required by sub-sub-subdivision (7)c.1. of this section.

(3) Development of utilization measures. - The Department of Administration shall develop and distribute to State agencies procedures to be used to measure the utilization of State-owned and State-leased real property. The procedures developed pursuant to this subdivision shall be all of the following:

a. Based on the percentage of usable square feet in a facility that is used for State agency functions or for storage, or on other trade industry standards of utilization measurement.

b. Adjusted as appropriate for each facility type.

c. Designed to yield an easily understandable index or ratio of facility utilization.

d. Developed in consultation with State agencies.

(4) Development and enforcement of space planning standards. - The Department of Administration shall develop and distribute to State agencies space planning standards to be used to determine workspace size and to govern the use of shared space. The standards developed pursuant to this subdivision shall be based on the Federal GSA's Office of Real Property Management Performance Measurement Division Workspace Utilization and Allocation Benchmark report unless the Department identifies another efficient industry standard upon which to base the space planning standards developed pursuant to this subdivision. The Department shall:

a. Annually perform audits of a portion of State agencies to determine each agency's adherence to the space planning standards developed pursuant to this subdivision and shall send formal letters of admonishment to any agency that fails to justify, in the sole discretion of the Department, any deviation from those standards.

b. Update the space planning standards developed pursuant to this subdivision at least once every five years and distribute those changes to State agencies.

(5) Updating of real property inventories. - The Department of Administration shall do all of the following to ensure that the information contained in the inventories maintained pursuant to G.S. 143-341(4) is kept current:

a. Immediately incorporate information received from State agencies pursuant to subdivision (b)(1) of this section into the inventories.

b. Immediately notify State agencies when the incorporation of information into the inventories required by sub-subdivision a. of this subdivision is complete.

(6) Development of surplus property identification and disposal system. - The Department of Administration shall establish a surplus real property disposal system that limits the duration that unneeded property is retained by the State. As part of the system, the Department shall adopt rules defining surplus State-owned real property and establishing a system for continuously identifying and disposing of that property, subject to the approvals required by Chapter 146 of the General Statutes, which shall take into consideration all of the following:

a. The value each facility or parcel of land brings to the performance of the mission of the State or State agency and the fulfillment of its goals and objectives.

b. A general measure of the facility's condition calculated as a ratio of repair needs to replacement value.

c. The degree to which the property is utilized, measured in accordance with the procedures developed pursuant to subdivision (3) of this subsection.

d. The extent to which the property meets the purpose for which it was intended.

e. The extent to which the State or State agency is likely to need to continue to provide the service or function currently provided at the property.

f. Consideration of the best and most cost-effective manner in which these future needs can be met.

(7) Reporting. - The Department of Administration shall make the following reports:

a. No later than April 1, 2023, and every five years thereafter, the Department shall report the following to the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations and Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Capital Improvements, Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on General Government, and Fiscal Research Division:

1. The plan developed pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection.

2. A summary of the performance measurement procedures developed pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection.

b. If any State agency fails to submit the information required by subdivision (b)(1) of this section, the Department shall report the failure to the chairs of the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations, the chairs of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Capital Improvements, and the chairs of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on General Government within 30 days.

c. No later than April 1, 2024, and each year thereafter, the Department shall report to the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations, Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Capital Improvements, Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on General Government, and Fiscal Research Division on the State's portfolio of real property. This report shall include at least the following information:

1. The status of achieving the goals and objectives set forth in the most recent plan developed pursuant to subdivision (1) of this section.

2. Trends in the inventory of leased and owned buildings and real property, including changes in value, square footage, and operation and maintenance costs.

3. Trends in the inventory of State-owned land, including changes in acreage and value.

4. Allocation of leased and owned space by facility type, by agency, and by county.

5. Benchmarks for comparable private sector leases across the regions of the State for both rural and urban locations, as appropriate.

6. An analysis of utilization targets and a list of owned and leased real property identified as unused or underutilized.

7. A list of the following information for the period beginning after submission of the most recent report pursuant to this sub-subdivision:

I. State-owned properties identified as unused or underutilized.

II. State-owned properties sold.

III. State-owned properties in the process of being disposed of.

IV. Properties reallocated between State agencies.

8. A list of all audits performed that year pursuant to sub-subdivision a. of subdivision (4) of this subsection, a summary of the findings of each audit, and the agency's plans for addressing the findings of the audit.

(b) Duties of Other State Agencies. - Each State agency shall have the following powers and duties:

(1) Collection and reporting of information on property use. - No later than November 1, 2022, and each year thereafter, each State agency shall submit to the Department of Administration all of the information described in G.S. 143-341(4)b.1. through 15. for each building, facility, or space in any building or facility that the agency occupies. This shall be in addition to any reports required pursuant to G.S. 143-341(4)h.

(2) Verification of information in real property inventories. - Within 60 days of receiving notice from the Department of Administration pursuant to sub-subdivision (a)(5)b. of this section, each State agency shall report to the Department one of the following, as applicable:

a. That the information submitted to the Department of Administration pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection is accurately reflected in the real property inventories.

b. A list of discrepancies between the information submitted to the Department of Administration pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection and the corresponding information in the real property inventories.

(3) Auditor may audit submissions. - The State Auditor may audit submissions made to the Department of Administration pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection and may recover any costs incurred in performing such an audit from the State Land Fund, in accordance with G.S. 146-72.

(4) Development of five-year property management plan. - No later than November 1, 2022, and every five years thereafter, each State agency shall develop a five-year real property management plan and shall submit the plan to the Department of Administration for review. Each plan shall do all of the following:

a. Identify the type, quantity, and location of facilities and spaces required to fully support agency operations.

b. Include an in-depth analysis of existing facilities' locations, capabilities, utilization, and condition.

c. Establish agency-specific strategic priorities and objectives for each asset under its control.

(c) Exception for Property Not Subject to Department of Administration Oversight. - None of the requirements of this section shall apply to facilities that are not subject to the real property oversight of the Department of Administration under G.S. 143-341. A State agency that is entirely exempt from the real property oversight of the Department of Administration shall not be required to submit any information pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. A State agency that is partially exempt from the real property oversight of the Department of Administration shall submit information pursuant to subsection (b) of this section for those properties that are subject to the real property oversight of the Department of Administration. (2016-119, s. 1(a); 2017-102, s. 22; 2021-180, ss. 20.1(a), 27.2(f).)