An excerpt from the Telework Improvements Act of 2010

The following language is excerpted from H.R. 1722, sponsored by Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) and passed by the House on July 14, 2010.

§ 6502. Governmentwide telework requirement

(a) Telework Requirement.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this chapter, the head of each agency shall establish a policy under which employees shall be authorized to telework, subject to paragraph (2) and subsection (b).

(2) AGENCY POLICIES.—The head of each agency shall ensure —

(A) that the telework policy established under this section —

(i) conforms to the regulations promulgated by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management under Section 6503, and

(ii) authorizes employees to telework to the maximum extent possible without diminishing agency operations and performance; and

(B) that information on the eligibility of employees to telework is included in descriptions of available positions and other recruiting materials.

(b) Provisions Relating to Certain Circumstances.—Nothing in subsection (a) shall be considered —

            (1) to require the head of an agency to authorize teleworking in the case of an employee whose duties and responsibilities—

                        (A) require daily direct handling of classified information; or

                        (B) 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; or

              (2) to prevent the temporary denial of permission for an employee to telework if, in the judgment of the agency head, the employee is needed to respond to an emergency.

(c) Rule of Construction.—Nothing in this chapter shall —

            (1) be considered to require any employee to telework; or

               (2) prevent an agency from permitting an employee to telework as part of a continuity-of-operations plan.

(A .pdf with the full text of H.R. 1722 is available on FCW.com.)