1722 ) to foster the development of telework in executive agencies of the federal government. The Senate agreed to the committee amendments, including a title change, and passed S. 707 , the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010, under unanimous consent on May 24, 2010. 1722 , the Telework Improvements Act of 2010, on March 25, 2009, and the bill was referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The legislation would amend Title 5 of the United States Code by adding a new Chapter 65 entitled "Telework." The House passed H.R. 1755 , as amended, on a 290-131 (Roll No. 441) vote on July 14, 2010. 4689) in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 1722 , as amended, under unanimous consent, on September 30, 2010. Any House action to concur in the Senate amendment may occur in the lame duck session scheduled to convene on November 15, 2010. 1722 would define telework as a work flexibility arrangement under which an employee performs the duties and responsibilities of his or her position, and other authorized activities, from an approved worksite other than the location from which the employee would otherwise work. The bill would require the heads of executive agencies to establish policies under which employees (with some exceptions) could be eligible to participate in telework. Employee participation in telework must not diminish either employee performance or agency operations (Senate-passed H.R. 1722 ) or agency operations and performance (House-passed H.R. 1722 ). In the executive agencies, employees not eligible for telework generally would include those whose duties involve the daily direct handling of secure materials determined to be inappropriate for telework by the agency head or on-site activity that cannot be handled remotely or at an alternative worksite (Senate-passed H.R. 1722 ) or the daily direct handling of classified information or are such that their performance requires on-site activity which cannot be carried out from a site removed from the employee's regular place of employment (House-passed H.R. 1722 ). Under the Senate-passed version of the bill, an employee would have to enter into a written agreement with the agency to participate in telework. H.R. 1722 , as passed by the Senate and the House, would require that a Telework Managing Officer, who would be responsible for implementing the telework policies, be appointed for each executive agency. Each agency also would be required to provide training to managers, supervisors, and employees participating in telework. Telework would be incorporated into Continuity of Operations (COOP) plans under the legislation. The Senate-passed H.R. The Senate-passed and House-passed H.R. 1722 also would require the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to submit annual reports on telework to Congress, and the Comptroller General (CG) to review the OPM report and then annually report to Congress on the progress of executive agencies in implementing telework. The CG would be required to annually submit a report to Congress on telework at the Government Accountability Office (GAO). H.R. 1722 , as passed by the Senate, would require the Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCOs) to annually report to the CHCO Council chair and vice-chair on telework implementation by their agencies. Under the Senate-passed and House-passed H.R. 1722 , test programs for telework travel expenses would be authorized. As passed by the Senate, H.R. Table 1 , below, compares the provisions of S. 707 , as passed by the Senate, and H.R.
Legislation to augment telework in executive agencies of the federal government is currently pending in the 111th Congress. S. 707, the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010, and H.R. 1722, the Telework Improvements Act of 2010, were introduced on March 25, 2009, by Senator Daniel Akaka and Representative John Sarbanes, respectively. The Senate passed S. 707, amended, under unanimous consent on May 24, 2010. The House passed H.R. 1722, amended, on July 14, 2010, on a 290-131 (Roll No. 441) vote. The Senate agreed to an amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 1722, and then passed H.R. 1722, as amended, under unanimous consent on September 30, 2010. Any House action to concur in the Senate amendment may occur in the lame duck session scheduled to convene on November 15, 2010.
H.R. 1722, as passed by the House and the Senate, would amend Title 5 of the United States Code by adding a new Chapter 65 entitled "Telework." The bill defines telework as a work flexibility arrangement under which an employee performs the duties and responsibilities of his or her position, and other authorized activities, from an approved worksite other than the location from which the employee would otherwise work. The heads of executive agencies would be required to establish policies under which employees (with some exceptions) could be eligible to participate in telework. Employee participation in telework must not diminish either employee performance or agency operations (Senate-passed H.R. 1722) or agency operations and performance (House-passed H.R. 1722). Executive agency employees not eligible for telework generally would include those whose duties require the daily direct handling of secure materials determined to be inappropriate for telework by the agency head or on-site activity that cannot be handled remotely or at an alternative worksite (Senate-passed H.R. 1722) or the daily direct handling of classified information or are such that their performance requires on-site activity which cannot be carried out from a site removed from the employee's regular place of employment (House-passed H.R. 1722). The Senate-passed version of the bill would require an employee to enter into a written agreement with the agency before participating in telework. The Senate- and House-passed H.R. 1722 would require each executive agency to appoint a Telework Managing Officer, who would be responsible for implementing the telework policies; provide training to managers, supervisors, and employees participating in telework; provide for telework to be incorporated into Continuity of Operations (COOP) plans; require the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to submit annual reports on telework to Congress, and require the Comptroller General (CG) to review the OPM report and then annually report to Congress on the progress of executive agencies in implementing telework; and require the CG to annually submit a report to Congress on telework at the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The Senate-passed H.R. 1722 would require the agency Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCOs) to annually report to the chair and vice-chair of the CHCO Council on telework in their organizations. Test programs for telework travel expenses would be authorized by the Senate- and House-passed H.R. 1722. This report presents a side-by-side comparison of the provisions of S. 707, as passed by the Senate, and H.R. 1722, as passed by the House and the Senate. It will be updated as events dictate.