Sponsors (24)
The bill increases oversight, security, and clarity for federal telework and aims to identify facility savings, but it risks reducing or delaying telework flexibility and imposes administrative and fiscal costs on agencies, employees, and taxpayers.
Federal employees and Congress will get clearer, standardized telework policies and required OPM‑certified plans (including security/tool standards), improving cybersecurity, equipment support, and congressional oversight of telework changes.
Federal employees gain a uniform telework baseline that matches pre‑pandemic (Dec 31, 2019) policies, reducing uncertainty about what telework is allowed.
Taxpayers and agencies will receive standardized analyses and plans to identify underutilized office space and options to reduce real property costs, creating the potential for long‑term facility savings.
Federal employees who gained broader telework since 2019 could lose access or face reduced or delayed telework flexibility because agencies cannot expand telework until OPM certifies plans.
Employees who currently telework more may face higher commuting time and costs and increased childcare or transportation burdens if telework is reduced or delayed.
Agencies will incur significant administrative and compliance burdens and costs to revise policies, produce detailed studies, and obtain timely OPM certifications, diverting staff time and increasing costs for taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Requires executive agencies to revert telework to pre‑2020 levels and bars expansion until agencies submit studies and OPM‑certified plans showing net mission and cost benefits.
Introduced January 16, 2025 by James Comer · Last progress January 16, 2025
Requires executive agencies to revert telework policies to no more permissive than those in effect on December 31, 2019, within 30 days of enactment and forbids expanding telework until agencies submit a study and a plan that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) certifies will improve mission performance and reduce certain costs. Agencies must submit a study of COVID-era telework impacts and any expansion plan within six months; OPM must certify that plans will improve mission performance, lower real property and locality-pay costs where applicable, address security and equipment needs, and not substantially raise related overall costs before plans can be implemented.