S. 1000

110th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1000

To enhance the Federal Telework Program.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

March 27, 2007

Mr. STEVENS (for himself and Ms. LANDRIEU) introduced the following bill;

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security

and Governmental Affairs

A BILL

To enhance the Federal Telework Program.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States

of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Telework Enhancement Act of 2007'.

SEC. 2. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TELEWORK REQUIREMENT.

(a) In General-

(1) ELIGIBILITY- Within 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the head

of each Executive agency shall establish a policy under which each employee

of the agency, except as provided in subsection (d), shall be eligible to participate

in telework.

(2) PARTICIPATION POLICY- The policy shall ensure that eligible employees

participate in telework to the maximum extent possible without diminishing

employee performance or agency operations.

(b) APPLICATION TO JUDICIAL BRANCH EMPLOYEES- Within 1 year after the date

of enactment of this Act, the Chief Justice of the United States shall establish a policy

for employees of the judicial branch under which such employees, except employees

designated by the Chief Justice as employees to whom the policy does not apply, shall

participate in telework to the maximum extent possible without diminishing employee

performance or judicial operations.

(1) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES- Within 1 year after the date of enactment

of this Act, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, in consultation with the

Minority Leader of the House, shall establish a policy for employees of the House

of Representatives under which such employees, except employees designated

by the Speaker as employees to whom the policy does not apply, shall participate

in telework to the maximum extent possible without diminishing employee

performance or House operations.

(2) SENATE- Within 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Majority

Leader of the Senate, in consultation with the Minority Leader of the Senate, shall

establish a policy for employees of the Senate under which such employees,

except employees designated by the Majority Leader as employees to whom

the policy does not apply, shall participate in telework to the maximum extent

possible without diminishing employee performance or Senate operations.

(3) OTHER LEGISLATIVE BRANCH EMPLOYEES- Within 1 year after the date

of enactment of this Act, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the

Majority Leader of the Senate jointly shall establish a policy for employees of the

legislative branch who are not employees of either House under which such

employees, except employees designated by the Speaker and the Majority

Leader as employees to whom the policy does not apply, shall participate in

telework to the maximum extent possible without diminishing employee performance

or legislative branch operations.

(d) INELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES-

(1) EXECUTIVE AGENCIES- Subsection (a)(1) does not apply to executive agency

employees--

(A) whose duties involve the daily handling of secure materials, necessary

contact with special equipment, or daily physical presence;

(B) who are assigned to national security or intelligence functions; or

are designated by the head of the agency as functions to which the policy does

not apply.

(2) JUDICIAL AND LEGISLATIVE BRANCH EMPLOYEES- The Chief Justice and

the officers of the Senate and House of Representatives described in subsection (c)

may designate as ineligible to participate in telework employees whose duties are

the same as, or similar to, the duties described in paragraph (1).

SEC. 3. TRAINING AND MONITORING.

The head of each executive agency shall ensure that--

(1) telework training is incorporated in the agency's new employee orientation procedures;

(2) periodic employee reviews are conducted for all employees, including those described

in section 1(a)(3), to ascertain whether telework is appropriate for the employee's job

description and the extent to which it is being utilized by the employee.

SEC. 4. TELEWORK MANAGING EMPLOYEE.

(a) IN GENERAL- The head of each executive agency, the Chief Justice, the Speaker of the House

of Representatives, and the Majority Leader of the Senate shall appoint a full time senior level

employee of the agency, the judicial branch, the House of Representatives, and the Senate,

respectively as the Telework Managing Officer. The Telework Managing Office shall be established

within the office of the chief administrative officer or a comparable office with similar functions.

(b) DUTIES- The Telework Managing Officer shall--

(1) serve as liaison between employees engaged in teleworking and their

employing entity;

(2) ensure that the organization's telework policy is communicated effectively to employees;

(3) encourage all eligible employees to engage in telework to the maximum practicable

extent consistent with meeting performance requirements and maintaining operations;

(4) assist the head of the agency in the development and maintenance of agencywide

telework policies;

(5) educate administrative units on telework policies, programs, and training courses;

(6) provide written notification to all employees of specific telework programs and employee

eligibility;

(7) focus on expanding and monitoring agency telework programs;

(8) recommend and oversee telework-specific pilot programs for employees and managers,

including tracking performance and monitoring activities;

(9) promote teleconferencing devices;

(10) develop monthly productivity awards for teleworkers;

(11) develop and administer a telework performance reporting system; and

(12) assist the head of the agency in designating employees to telework to continue

agency operations in the event of a major disaster (as defined in section 102 of the Robert

T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122)).

the Chief Justice, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, or the Majority Leader of the Senate, as

the case may be, and the Comptroller General at least once every 12 months that includes a statement

of the applicable telework policy, a description of measures in place to carry out the policy, and an

analysis of the participation by employees of the entity in teleworking during the preceding 12-month period.

SEC. 5. ANNUAL TELEWORK AGENCY RATING.

(a) IN GENERAL- The Comptroller General shall establish a system for evaluating--

(1) the telework policy of each executive agency, the judicial branch, and the legislative branch; and

(2) on an annual basis the participation in teleworking by their employees.

(b) REPORT- The Comptroller General shall publish a report each year rating--

(1) the telework policy of each entity to which this Act applies;

(2) the degree of participation by employees of each such entity in teleworking during the 12-month

period covered by the report; and

(3) for each executive agency--

(A) the number of employees in the agency;

(B) the number of those employees who are eligible to telework;

(D) the number of employees who engage on an occasional or sporadic basis in

teleworking.

SEC. 7 DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:

(1) EMPLOYEE- The term `employee' has the meaning given that term by section 8101

(1) of title 5, United States Code, but does not include--

(A) justices of the Supreme Court, judges of Courts of Appeals, or judges of the

District Courts;

(B) a Member of the United States House of Representatives; or

(2) EXECUTIVE AGENCY- The term `Executive agency' has the meaning given that term

by section 105 of title 5, United States Code.

(3) TELEWORK- The term `telework' means a work arrangement in which an employee

regularly performs officially assigned duties at home or other worksites geographically

convenient to the residence of the employee that--

(A) reduces or eliminates the employee's commute between his or her residence

and his or her place of employment; and

(B) occurs at least 2 business days per week on a recurring basis.

END