Representative Albert Wynn (D-MD) reintroduced the Truthfulness, Responsibility, and Accountability in Contracting (TRAC) legislation on February 14, 2001, which is designed to bring federal design programs back in-house that are currently being outsourced by the federal government. The TRAC Act, H.R. 721, is designed to prevent any new government contracts with the private sector, determine whether currently contracted activities would be more cost-effective if kept in-house, and ultimately return work to government employees.
Private sector architects and engineers currently perform the actual design work of federal facilities, while the federal agencies manage and coordinate the design process. If passed, the TRAC Act would override the 30-year-old policy, OMB Circular No. A-76, which recognizes the private sector’s valuable expertise and resources, and acknowledges that “competition enhances quality, economy, and productivity.”
The legislation is similar to the version Representative Wynn sponsored last session (H.R. 3766), which the American Institute of Architects (AIA) opposed. The AIA is concerned that passage of the TRAC Act would undermine the integrity of architectural and engineering services as specified in the Brooks Act, compromise the safety of federal facilities, and make it difficult for federal agencies to complete the repairs needed to ensure the facilities’ modernization.
Based on a report from ANGLE, published by the American Institute of Architects
