PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · May 12, 2015
Federal Bird-Safe Buildings Act of 2015
Requires each public building constructed, substantially altered, or acquired 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 employing elements that preclude bird collisions without completely obscuring vision, ultraviolet (UV) patterned glass that contains UV-reflective or contrasting patterns that are visible to birds, patterns on glass designed in accordance with a rule that restricts horizontal spaces to less than 2 inches high and vertical spaces to less than 4 inches wide, opaque, etched, stained, frosted, or translucent glass, orany combination of these methods (modified glass);
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
at least 60% of the exposed facade material above 40 feet shall meet such 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 modified glass standard; and
outside lighting shall be appropriately shielded and minimized.
Directs GSA to: (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.
Exempts historic buildings of national significance, the White House and its grounds, the Supreme Court building and its grounds, or the U.S. Capitol and its related buildings and grounds.
People & committees
Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5] · D–IL
Legislative record
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.
Source last updated: Aug 12, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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