In November 1999, GSA and the U.S. Department of State convened a symposium to discuss the apparently conflicting objectives of security from terrorist attack and the design of public buildings in an open society. The symposium sponsors rejected the notion of rigid, prescriptive design approaches. The symposium concluded with a challenge to the design and security professions to craft aesthetically appealing architectural solutions that achieve balanced, performance-based approaches to both openness and security. In response to a request from the Office of the Chief Architect of the Public Buildings Service, the National Research Council (NRC) assembled a panel of independent experts, the Committee to Review the Security Design Criteria of the Interagency Security Committee. This committee was tasked to evaluate the ISC Security Design Criteria to determine whether particular provisions might be too prescriptive to allow a design professional "reasonable flexibility" in achieving desired security and physical protection objectives.

One of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) priorities is the protection of Federal employees and private citizens who work within and visit U.S. Government-owned or leased facilities. The Interagency Security Committee (ISC), chaired by DHS, consists of 53 Federal departments and agencies, has as its mission the development of security standards and best practices for nonmilitary Federal facilities in the United States. As Chair of the ISC, I am pleased to introduce the new ISC document titled The Risk Management Process: An Interagency Security Committee Standard (Standard). This ISC Standard defines the criteria and processes that those responsible for the security of a facility should use to determine its facility security level and provides an integrated, single source of physical security countermeasures for all nonmilitary Federal facilities. The Standard also provides guidance for customization of the countermeasures for Federal facilities.

Many factors affect the amount of temperature-induced movement that occurs in a building and the extent to which this movement can occur before serious damage develops or extensive maintenance is required. In some cases joints are being omitted where they are needed, creating a risk of structural failures or causing unnecessary operations and maintenance costs. In other cases, expansion joints are being used where they are not required, increasing the initial cost of construction and creating space utilization problems. As of 1974, there were no nationally acceptable procedures for precise determination of the size and the location of expansion joints in buildings. Most designers and federal construction agencies individually adopted and developed guidelines based on experience and rough calculations leading to significant differences in the various guidelines used for locating and sizing expansion joints. In response to this complex problem, Expansion Joints in Buildings: Technical Report No. 65 provides federal agencies with practical procedures for evaluating the need for through-building expansion joints in structural framing systems. The report offers guidelines and criteria to standardize the practice of expansion joints in buildings and decrease problems associated with the misuse of expansions joints. Expansions Joints in Buildings: Technical Report No. 65 also makes notable recommendations concerning expansion, isolation, joints, and the manner in which they permit separate segments of the structural frame to expand and to contract in response to temperature fluctuations without adversely affecting the buildings structural integrity or serviceability.

In 2006, Federal agencies owning and operating more than 90% of all Federal facilities signed the Memorandum of Understanding for Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings (2006 Guiding Principles). The Memorandum contained the first set of Guiding Principles - overarching environmental performance goals - for new Federal buildings. The 2006 Guiding Principles addressed reducing energy and water use, conserving resources, minimizing waste, protecting indoor air quality, and requiring the use of integrated teams during the design, construction, and operation of new Federal facilities. An updated set of Guiding Principles, called "High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Guidance," December 2008, contained "Guiding Principles for Sustainable New Construction and Major Renovation" and "Guiding Principles for Sustainable Existing Buildings." Previous Executive Orders (E.O.) 13423 (2006) and 13514 (2009) recognized green buildings as a key component in efforts to reduce environmental impacts, cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and lower the operating costs at Federal facilities. E.O. 13693, Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade, March 19, 2015, reaffirmed Federal green building efforts and called for revised Guiding Principles to reflect progress in green building design, construction, and operation practices; broaden considerations around protecting occupant health, wellness, and productivity; and address climate change risks.

Standards to guide the design and construction of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, independent living settings, and related outbased service facilities, including adult day care