Bill > HR473

This bill aims to restore federal agency in-office work to pre-pandemic levels by requiring agencies to revert to their telework policies as they existed on December 31, 2019. Specifically, agencies must submit a comprehensive study to Congress within six months examining the impacts of expanded telework during the COVID-19 pandemic, including effects on mission performance, customer service, real estate costs, workforce distribution, and technological capabilities. The bill mandates that any future expansion of telework policies must first receive certification from the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), who must confirm that such changes will positively impact the agency's mission, reduce property costs, lower locality pay expenses, and maintain secure and productive work environments. Agencies are prohibited from implementing new telework plans without this certification, and if an initial plan is rejected, they may submit revised plans until approval is granted. The legislation defines key terms like "telework" to include remote work and applies to most executive agencies, with exceptions like the Government Accountability Office. The bill's underlying goal is to encourage federal employees to return to in-person work and minimize the long-term remote work changes initiated during the pandemic.

Government Affairs

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/473/all-info