The 2006 Science-State-Justice-Commerce Appropriations
conference report just passed in the House includes a
provision requiring several federal agencies to prove
that the number of their employees who are teleworking
is on the rise or risk losing up to $5 million in funding.
The Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the
Securities and Exchange Commission and the Small Business
administration have two months after the bill is enacted
to prove that telecommuting opportunities have increased
over the levels they certified to the appropriations
committees for fiscal 2005, and that they each have a
telework coordinator in place to oversee the implementation
and operations of their telecommuting programs — or they
don’t get the money.
“I said last year, I do not like having to be so heavy
handed and threaten to withhold funding, but if that is
what it is going to take to get more people teleworking,
then that is what I will continue to do,” said Rep. Frank
Wolf, R-Va., who sponsored the provision.
A recent report from the Government Accountability Office
described inconsistencies among agency teleworking efforts,
identifying eligible employees, and reporting on them.
The legislation directs the agencies to highlight in their
quarterly reports the population eligible to telework,
including a comparison to the previous fiscal year, the
actual participation rate, including permanent, ad hoc,
and episodic arrangements, and the expansion of the
eligible population.
The agencies will also be expected to put telework
arrangements in place for all those eligible, actively
promote opportunities for telecommuting, and consider
providing training to managers on the benefits of
telecommuting arrangements.
Due to expanded jurisdiction of the subcommittee, NASA
and the National Science Foundation will also be required
to certify that telecommuting arrangements are made
available to eligible works.
The Senate is expected to take action on the conference
report soon.
