Us Congress 2025-2026 Regular Session

Us Congress Senate Bill SB21

Introduced
1/7/25  

Caption

Requiring Effective Management and Oversight of Teleworking Employees Act or the REMOTE ActThis bill directs executive agencies to track employees' computer network activity, compare the activity of teleworking and on-site employees, and report on any deficiencies in the performance of teleworking employees.First, the bill requires each agency to establish policies to track for every employee (1) the average number of daily logins, (2) the average daily duration of the network connection, and (3) the network traffic generated while the employee works. This information must be collected from employees working primarily on-site within 180 days after the bill's enactment and from teleworking employees within one year after the bill's enactment. The bill also directs each agency to publish this data in the agency’s fiscal year budget justification materials, including a comparison of the average login rates of on-site and teleworking employees.Next, the bill directs any manager who revokes a teleworking employee's authorization to telework (due to a reason specific to that employee) to document for the employee and the agency's Human Capital Office (1) the total number of days that the employee teleworked in the six work periods immediately preceding the revocation, (2) a narrative summary of the circumstances giving rise to the revocation, and (3) any steps the manager took to discipline the employee before revoking the employee's telework authorization. Finally, agencies must report to the Chief Human Capital Officers Council about any adverse effects of telework policies on the performance of the executive agency.

Impact

The enactment of SB21 will have a significant impact on internal policies regarding human resource management and operational efficiency within federal agencies. Departments will be required to track metrics such as average login rates and daily network traffic for remote employees, which could influence organizational cultures that have recently embraced flexible working arrangements post-pandemic. The bill also stipulates periodic reporting requirements, which may lead to a re-evaluation of existing telework agreements and potentially affect the job security of teleworking employees based on performance measures.

Summary

SB21, known as the ‘Requiring Effective Management and Oversight of Teleworking Employees Act’ or the ‘REMOTE Act’, establishes guidelines for teleworking within Executive departments of the U.S. government. The bill mandates these departments to create policies that collect data regarding teleworking employees, with a focus on assessing their login activity, network traffic, and teleworking frequency. By creating a structured framework for telework management, SB21 aims to enhance accountability and transparency in how teleworking is being utilized across different agencies.

Contention

Notable points of contention around SB21 may arise concerning the privacy rights of teleworking employees. The requirement to monitor login activity and network usage could be perceived as intrusive by some stakeholders, leading to debates about employee surveillance versus productivity analysis. Additionally, the necessity to justify revocations of teleworking privileges may create bureaucratic hurdles, complicating managerial decisions and possibly diminishing employees' flexibility to work remotely as needed. Such concerns highlight the balance that must be struck between effective management and respecting employee autonomy in telework agreements.

Congress_id

119-S-21

Policy_area

Government Operations and Politics

Introduced_date

2025-01-07

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

US SB5429

REMOTE Act Requiring Effective Management and Oversight of Teleworking Employees Act

US HB474

Require Employees To Uniformly Return Now Act or the RETURN Act This bill prohibits Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees from teleworking during the period beginning five business days after the enactment of this bill and ending on the date on which the IRS certifies that the processing backlog for income tax returns for all taxable years has been eliminated. The Department of the Treasury may not obligate additional funds for the IRS until the date on which the IRS certifies that the backlog has been eliminated.

US HB360

Require Employees To Uniformly Return Now Act or the RETURN Act This bill prohibits Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees from teleworking during the period beginning five business days after the enactment of this bill and ending on the date on which the IRS certifies that the processing backlog for 2020 income tax returns has been eliminated. The Department of the Treasury may not obligate additional funds for the IRS until the date on which the IRS certifies the backlog has been eliminated.

US SB5647

A bill to require Federal agencies to impose in-person work requirements for employees of those agencies and to occupy a certain portion of the office space of those agencies, and for other purposes.

US HB138

Private Student Loan Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2023 This bill modifies the treatment of certain student loans in bankruptcy. Specifically, it allows private student loans to be discharged in bankruptcy regardless of whether a debtor demonstrates undue hardship. Under current law, student loans may be discharged in bankruptcy only if the loans impose an undue hardship on the debtor.

US HB65

Ending Common Core and Expanding School Choice Act This bill revises requirements related to federal education funding for disadvantaged children. Specifically, the bill (1) eliminates the standards, assessments, and academic accountability requirements for state and local educational agencies that receive federal funds for the education of disadvantaged children; (2) requires such funds to be allocated based on the number of children residing in each state who are living in poverty; and (3) allows educational agencies to distribute per-pupil amounts from such funds to parents for qualified elementary and secondary education expenses. The bill prohibits federal officers or employees from mandating academic standards, assessments, curricula, or accountability systems.

US HB101

Return to Work Act This bill requires the head of each executive agency to reinstate the telework policies in use by that agency on December 31, 2019.

US HB139

Stopping Home Office Work's Unproductive Problems Act of 2023 or the SHOW UP Act of 2023 This bill requires each executive agency to reinstate the telework policies that were in place on December 31, 2019. Agencies may not implement expanded telework policies unless the Office of Personnel Management certifies that such policies, among other requirements, will have a positive effect on the agency's mission and operational costs.

US HB319

Legal Workforce Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to create an electronic employment eligibility confirmation system modeled after and to replace the E-Verify system, which allows employers and recruiters to verify the immigration status of individuals. The bill also mandates the use of such a system, where currently only some employers, such as those with federal contracts, are required to use E-Verify. The bill specifies documents that can establish an individual's identity and employment authorization. During the period starting when a job offer is made until three business days after hiring, the individual must attest to his or her employment authorization, and the employer or recruiter must attest that it has examined the individual's required documents. Employers shall reverify certain types of employees who were not previously verified using E-verify. The Social Security Administration shall notify employees if their Social Security number has been used multiple times in an unusual manner. DHS shall establish programs for blocking and suspending misused numbers. Employers that are required to use the verification system shall not be liable for any employment-related action based on a good-faith reliance on the information from the system. The bill establishes a phased-in participation deadline for different categories of employers, including agricultural employers. The bill increases civil penalties related to hiring individuals without work authorization. It also preempts state laws relating to hiring and employment eligibility verification, but states may use their authority of business licensing to penalize employers for failing to comply with the bill's provisions.

US SB5614

A bill to require the head of each Executive agency to relocate 30 percent of the employees assigned to the headquarters of the Executive agency to duty stations outside the Washington metropolitan area, and for other purposes.

Similar Bills

US SB82

Telework Reform Act of 2025

US SB3015

Telework Reform Act of 2024

US SB4043

Telework Transparency Act of 2024

US HB473

SHOW UP Act of 2025 Stopping Home Office Work’s Unproductive Problems Act of 2025

US HB7080

Earn Your Keep Act

US SB298

Returning SBA to Main Street Act

US SB5501

A bill to require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to relocate 30 percent of the employees assigned to headquarters to duty stations outside the Washington metropolitan area, and for other purposes.

US HB107

Return to Work Act This bill requires the head of each executive agency to reinstate the telework policies in use by that agency on December 31, 2019.