GSA MANAGES A PROGRAM OF MAJOR REPAIRS AND ALTERATIONS TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS. THE PUBLIC BUILDINGS ACT REQUIRES GSA TO OBTAIN APPROVAL OF THE SENATE AND HOUSE COMMITTEES ON PUBLIC WORKS FOR EACH PROJECT ESTIMATED TO COST OVER $500,000. HOWEVER, THE CONGRESS HAS NOT HAD MUCH CONTROL OVER HOW THE FUNDS FOR THESE PROJECTS ARE USED. GSA AND THE PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEES APPARENTLY HAVE A SIGNIFICANT MISUNDERSTANDING REGARDING THE NATURE AND SCOPE OF REPAIR WORK REQUIRING THE COMMITTEES' APPROVAL; GSA HAS SPENT OVER $1 MILLION ON EACH OF A NUMBER OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS WITHOUT HAVING REQUESTED APPROVAL OF THOSE COMMITTEES. IT HAS ALSO USED THE AUTHORITY TO DO WORK THAT WAS NOT DESCRIBED IN THE SCOPE APPROVED. TO IMPROVE CONGRESSIONAL CONTROL OF THE MAJOR REPAIRS AND ALTERATIONS PROGRAM, THE PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEES SHOULD INITIATE LEGISLATION AMENDING THE PUBLIC BUILDINGS ACT OF 1959 TO DEFINE THE TERM 'PROJECT,' SO THAT IT MUST INCLUDE ALL RELATED WORK REQUIRED TO ACCOMPLISH AN IDENTIFIED MAJOR REPAIRS AND ALTERATIONS OBJECTIVE IN A SINGLE BUILDING. FURTHER, THE COMMITTEES SHOULD ADVISE GSA AS TO WHICH WORK COSTS SHOULD BE CLASSIFIED AS MAINTENANCE AND WHICH AS ALTERATIONS THAT MUST BE INCLUDED IN PROSPECTUSES. FURTHER SUGGESTIONS FOR LEGISLATIVE CHANGE AND ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICE ARE SUGGESTED. A LETTER FROM THE GSA ADMINISTRATOR IS APPENDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--RCB)