Telework Enhancement Act of 2010
Public Law 111-292 · H.R. 1722 · 111th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Dec 9, 2010 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD-3)
Cosponsors (14): Rep. Frank Wolf, Rep. Gerald Connolly,
Passage votesYeaNay
- HouseRecorded vote: 254 yea, 152 nay254–152
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Telework Enhancement Act of 2010 - (Sec. 2) Requires the head of each executive agency to: (1) establish a policy under which eligible agency employees may be authorized to telework; (2) determine employee eligibility to participate in telework; and (3) notify all employees of their eligibility to telework.
Requires the telework policy to: (1) ensure that telework does not diminish employee performance or agency operations; (2) require a written agreement between an agency manager and an employee that outlines the specific work arrangement agreed to; (3) provide that an employee may not be authorized to telework if that employee's performance does not comply with the terms of the agreement; (4) not apply to any agency employee whose official duties require, on a daily basis, direct handling of secure materials determined to be inappropriate for telework or on-site activity that cannot be handled remotely or at an alternate worksite; and (5) be incorporated as part of the agency's continuity of operations plans.
Prohibits participation in telework by an employee who has been officially disciplined for being absent without permission for more than five days in any calendar year or for viewing, downloading, or exchanging pornography on a government computer or while performing official government duties.
Directs each agency head to ensure that: (1) an interactive telework training program is provided to eligible employees and their managers; (2) an employee has successfully completed that program before entering into a written telework agreement; (3) teleworkers and nonteleworkers are treated the same for purposes of performance appraisals, training, rewarding, reassigning, promotions, reducing in grade, retaining, and removing employees, work requirements, or other acts involving managerial discretion; and (4) the agency shall consult the performance management guidelines of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) when determining what constitutes diminished employee performance.
Requires each agency, in developing telework policies, to consult with OPM, which shall: (1) provide policy guidance; (2) assist each agency in establishing appropriate qualitative and quantitative measures and teleworking goals; and (3) consult with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the General Services Administration (GSA), and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) on telework policy in areas including continuation of operations, telework centers, technology, equipment, dependent care, and records management.
Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to issue guidelines to ensure the adequacy of information and security protections for information and information systems used while teleworking.
Requires each agency to incorporate telework into its continuity of operations plan.
Directs: (1) OPM to maintain a central telework website that includes telework links, announcements, and guidance developed by OPM or submitted by FEMA and GSA; and (2) the Director of OMB to issue policy guidance requiring each agency, when purchasing computer systems, to purchase systems that enable and support telework, unless the agency head determines that there is a mission-specific reason not to do so.
Directs each agency to designate a Telework Managing Officer, who shall: (1) be devoted to policy development and implementation related to agency telework programs; (2) serve as an advisor for agency leadership, a resource for managers and employees, and a primary agency point of contact for OPM on telework matters; and (3) be a senior agency official who has direct access to the agency head.
Requires: (1) the Director of OPM to submit annual reports on the telework programs of each agency (excluding the General Accountability Office [GAO]) to specified congressional committees, the Comptroller General, and OMB; (2) the Comptroller General to submit annual reports a on GAO's telework program to such committees; and (3) the Chief Human Capital Officer of each agency to report annually to the Chair and Vice Chair of the Chief Human Capital Officers Council on agency management efforts to promote telework.
(Sec. 3) Authorizes an agency, under a test program approved by the Administrator of General Services, to pay necessary travel expenses for employees participating in a telework program in lieu of otherwise authorized travel or transportation expenses. Requires: (1) an agency to include in any request for approval of such a test program an analysis of the expected costs and benefits and a set of criteria for evaluating program effectiveness; and (2) any such test program to be designed to enhance cost savings or other efficiencies for the government. Prohibits more than 10 test programs from being conducted simultaneously.
Requires the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) to conduct such a test program, under which it may pay travel expenses of an employee for travel to and from a PTO worksite or provide an employee with the option to waive such payment if PTO approves the requested arrangement for reasons of employee convenience instead of an agency need.
Terminates the authority to conduct such test programs seven years after enactment of this Act.
(Sec. 4) Requires the Director of OPM to: (1) research the utilization of telework by public and private sector entities that identify best practices and recommendations for the federal government; (2) review the outcomes associated with an increase in telework, including the effects of telework on energy consumption, job creation and availability, urban transportation patterns, and the ability to anticipate the dispersal of work during periods of emergency; and (3) make findings available to the public.
Who voted for it
Every House member of the 111th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 254 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.
254 yea152 nay27 present or did not vote
Democrats who voted yea(240)
Rep. Barbara LeeD-CA-9
Rep. Lynn WoolseyD-CA-6
Rep. Jim McDermottD-WA-7
Rep. Maurice HincheyD-NY-22
Rep. Gwen MooreD-WI-4
Rep. Donna EdwardsD-MD-4
Rep. Maxine WatersD-CA-35
Rep. Marcia FudgeD-OH-11
Rep. Raúl GrijalvaD-AZ-7
Rep. Yvette ClarkeD-NY-11
Rep. John OlverD-MA-1
Rep. Tammy BaldwinD-WI-2
Rep. Bob FilnerD-CA-51
Rep. John ConyersD-MI-14
Rep. Jim ClyburnD-SC-6
Rep. Keith EllisonD-MN-5
Rep. Eddie JohnsonD-TX-30
Rep. Mazie HironoD-HI-2
Rep. Donald PayneD-NJ-10
Rep. John LewisD-GA-5
Rep. Mike HondaD-CA-15
Rep. Jim McGovernD-MA-3
Rep. Barney FrankD-MA-4
Rep. José SerranoD-NY-16
Rep. Linda SánchezD-CA-39
Rep. Nydia VelázquezD-NY-12
Rep. Jan SchakowskyD-IL-9
Rep. Ed TownsD-NY-10
Rep. Mel WattD-NC-12
Rep. Xavier BecerraD-CA-31
Rep. Jerrold NadlerD-NY-8
Rep. Lucille Roybal-AllardD-CA-34
Rep. Pete StarkD-CA-13
Rep. Sheila Jackson LeeD-TX-18
Rep. Carolyn KilpatrickD-MI-13
Rep. Henry WaxmanD-CA-30
Rep. Louise SlaughterD-NY-28
Rep. George MillerD-CA-7
Rep. Judy ChuD-CA-32
Rep. Rush HoltD-NJ-12
Rep. Alcee HastingsD-FL-23
Rep. Jesse JacksonD-IL-2
Rep. Sam FarrD-CA-17
Rep. Grace NapolitanoD-CA-38
Rep. Michael DoyleD-PA-14
Rep. Bennie ThompsonD-MS-2
Rep. Earl BlumenauerD-OR-3
Rep. Michael CapuanoD-MA-8
Rep. Niki TsongasD-MA-5
Rep. Ed MarkeyD-MA-7
Rep. Chellie PingreeD-ME-1
Rep. Doris MatsuiD-CA-5
Rep. Robert BradyD-PA-1
Rep. Chaka FattahD-PA-2
Rep. André CarsonD-IN-7
Rep. Danny DavisD-IL-7
Rep. Peter WelchD-VT
Rep. Lois CappsD-CA-23
Rep. John LarsonD-CT-1
Rep. Joe CrowleyD-NY-7
Rep. John TierneyD-MA-6
Rep. Emanuel CleaverD-MO-5
Rep. Charlie RangelD-NY-15
Rep. Wm. ClayD-MO-1
Rep. Zoe LofgrenD-CA-16
Rep. Luis GutiérrezD-IL-4
Rep. Brad ShermanD-CA-27
Rep. Dave ObeyD-WI-7
Rep. John DingellD-MI-15
Rep. Rosa DeLauroD-CT-3
Rep. Betty McCollumD-MN-4
Rep. Howard BermanD-CA-28
Rep. Eliot EngelD-NY-17
Rep. G.K. ButterfieldD-NC-1
Rep. Frank PalloneD-NJ-6
Rep. Elijah CummingsD-MD-7
Rep. Kathy CastorD-FL-11
Rep. Steve CohenD-TN-9
Rep. Richard NealD-MA-2
Rep. Diana DeGetteD-CO-1
Rep. Ed PastorD-AZ-4
Rep. Hank JohnsonD-GA-4
Rep. Al GreenD-TX-9
Rep. Bobby ScottD-VA-3
Rep. Phil HareD-IL-17
Rep. Debbie Wasserman SchultzD-FL-20
Rep. Rob AndrewsD-NJ-1
Rep. Anna EshooD-CA-14
Rep. Steny HoyerD-MD-5
Rep. Nick RahallD-WV-3
Rep. Albio SiresD-NJ-13
Rep. Sander LevinD-MI-12
Rep. Betty SuttonD-OH-13
Rep. Steven RothmanD-NJ-9
Rep. Jackie SpeierD-CA-12
Rep. Gregory MeeksD-NY-6
Rep. John SarbanesD-MD-3
Rep. Chris Van HollenD-MD-8
Rep. Silvestre ReyesD-TX-16
Rep. Tim RyanD-OH-17
Rep. Dale KildeeD-MI-5
Rep. Gary AckermanD-NY-5
Rep. Paul TonkoD-NY-21
Rep. Anthony WeinerD-NY-9
Rep. Bruce BraleyD-IA-1
Rep. Ben LujánD-NM-3
Rep. Rubén HinojosaD-TX-15
Rep. David ScottD-GA-13
Rep. Nita LoweyD-NY-18
Rep. Brad MillerD-NC-13
Rep. Charlie GonzalezD-TX-20
Rep. Susan DavisD-CA-53
Rep. Adam SchiffD-CA-29
Rep. Gene GreenD-TX-29
Rep. Rick LarsenD-WA-2
Rep. Bill PascrellD-NJ-8
Rep. Joe BacaD-CA-43
Rep. Alan MollohanD-WV-1
Rep. Jim LangevinD-RI-2
Rep. Jared PolisD-CO-2
Rep. Carolyn MaloneyD-NY-14
Rep. Steve IsraelD-NY-2
Rep. Steve KagenD-WI-8
Rep. Laura RichardsonD-CA-37
Rep. Ted DeutchD-FL-19
Rep. Bobby RushD-IL-1
Rep. Solomon OrtizD-TX-27
Rep. Brian HigginsD-NY-27
Rep. John YarmuthD-KY-3
Rep. Jay InsleeD-WA-1
Rep. Ed PerlmutterD-CO-7
Rep. Jane HarmanD-CA-36
Rep. Stephen LynchD-MA-9
Rep. Joe CourtneyD-CT-2
Rep. Norm DicksD-WA-6
Rep. Bart StupakD-MI-1
Rep. Mike ThompsonD-CA-1
Rep. Alan GraysonD-FL-8
Rep. John SprattD-SC-5
Rep. Charles WilsonD-OH-6
Rep. Russ CarnahanD-MO-3
Rep. Sanford BishopD-GA-2
Rep. Shelley BerkleyD-NV-1
Rep. A. Dutch RuppersbergerD-MD-2
Rep. Allyson SchwartzD-PA-13
Rep. Loretta SanchezD-CA-47
Rep. Kendrick MeekD-FL-17
Rep. Paul KanjorskiD-PA-11
Rep. Carol Shea-PorterD-NH-1
Rep. Christopher MurphyD-CT-5
Rep. John HallD-NY-19
Rep. Carolyn McCarthyD-NY-4
Rep. Lloyd DoggettD-TX-25
Rep. Mary Jo KilroyD-OH-15
Rep. Peter ViscloskyD-IN-1
Rep. Ciro RodriguezD-TX-23
Rep. David LoebsackD-IA-2
Rep. Mike QuigleyD-IL-5
Rep. Peter DeFazioD-OR-4
Rep. Jerry CostelloD-IL-12
Rep. Dennis KucinichD-OH-10
Rep. Leonard BoswellD-IA-3
Rep. Bart GordonD-TN-6
Rep. Vic SnyderD-AR-2
Rep. Gerald ConnollyD-VA-11
Rep. John SalazarD-CO-3
Rep. Earl PomeroyD-ND
Rep. Bob EtheridgeD-NC-2
Rep. Joe SestakD-PA-7
Rep. Mark CritzD-PA-12
Rep. Timothy BishopD-NY-1
Rep. Marcy KapturD-OH-9
Rep. Timothy WalzD-MN-1
Rep. Ron KleinD-FL-22
Rep. Dennis MooreD-KS-3
Rep. Kurt SchraderD-OR-5
Rep. Martin HeinrichD-NM-1
Rep. Lincoln DavisD-TN-4
Rep. Adam SmithD-WA-9
Rep. Dennis CardozaD-CA-18
Rep. Daniel LipinskiD-IL-3
Rep. Larry KissellD-NC-8
Rep. Rick BoucherD-VA-9
Rep. Ben ChandlerD-KY-6
Rep. Daniel MaffeiD-NY-25
Rep. Dina TitusD-NV-3
Rep. Chet EdwardsD-TX-17
Rep. Henry CuellarD-TX-28
Rep. Mark SchauerD-MI-7
Rep. Michael MichaudD-ME-2
Rep. Ron KindD-WI-3
Rep. Artur DavisD-AL-7
Rep. Ike SkeltonD-MO-4
Rep. John TannerD-TN-8
Rep. Collin PetersonD-MN-7
Rep. Mike RossD-AR-4
Rep. Paul HodesD-NH-2
Rep. Jim CostaD-CA-20
Rep. Allen BoydD-FL-2
Rep. Jim HimesD-CT-4
Rep. Jerry McNerneyD-CA-11
Rep. Betsy MarkeyD-CO-4
Rep. William OwensD-NY-23
Rep. Brian BairdD-WA-3
Rep. John BarrowD-GA-12
Rep. Steve DriehausD-OH-1
Rep. Deborah HalvorsonD-IL-11
Rep. John BoccieriD-OH-16
Rep. Gary PetersD-MI-9
Rep. Kathleen DahlkemperD-PA-3
Rep. Melissa BeanD-IL-8
Rep. Bill FosterD-IL-14
Rep. Jim CooperD-TN-5
Rep. Jim MathesonD-UT-2
Rep. Michael ArcuriD-NY-24
Rep. Suzanne KosmasD-FL-24
Rep. Christopher CarneyD-PA-10
Rep. Harry TeagueD-NM-2
Rep. Stephanie Herseth SandlinD-SD
Rep. Charles MelanconD-LA-3
Rep. Jim MarshallD-GA-8
Rep. Jason AltmireD-PA-4
Rep. Thomas PerrielloD-VA-5
Rep. Dan BorenD-OK-2
Rep. Mike McIntyreD-NC-7
Rep. John AdlerD-NJ-3
Rep. Scott MurphyD-NY-20
Rep. Brad EllsworthD-IN-8
Rep. Joe DonnellyD-IN-2
Rep. Gabrielle GiffordsD-AZ-8
Rep. Ann KirkpatrickD-AZ-1
Rep. Baron HillD-IN-9
Rep. Frank KratovilD-MD-1
Rep. Heath ShulerD-NC-11
Rep. Glenn NyeD-VA-2
Rep. Travis ChildersD-MS-1
Rep. Harry MitchellD-AZ-5
Rep. Gene TaylorD-MS-4
Rep. Bobby BrightD-AL-2
Rep. Walter MinnickD-ID-1
Republicans who voted yea(14)
Rep. Joseph CaoR-LA-2
Rep. David ReichertR-WA-8
Rep. Walter JonesR-NC-3- Rep. Charles DjouR-HI-1
Rep. Steven LaTouretteR-OH-14
Rep. Charles DentR-PA-15
Rep. Shelley CapitoR-WV-2
Rep. Frank WolfR-VA-10
Rep. Vern BuchananR-FL-13
Rep. Jeff FortenberryR-NE-1
Rep. Brian BilbrayR-CA-50
Rep. Robert WittmanR-VA-1
Rep. Thad McCotterR-MI-11
Rep. Randy ForbesR-VA-4
Data notes
The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 1561 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Oversight and Accountability Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Information Technology Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.Res. 1509Procedurally-related
Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1722) to improve teleworking in executive agencies by developing a telework program that allows employees to telework at least 20 percent of the hours worked in every 2 admi…
H.Res. 1721Related bill
Providing for the consideration of the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 1722) to require the head of each executive agency to establish and implement a policy under which employees shall be authorized to telework, and…
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 46 actions.
- Dec 9, 2010Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 111-292.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Nov 29, 2010FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Nov 18, 2010Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 254 - 152 (Roll no. 578).House roll call 578
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Lynch moved that the House agree to the Senate amendment
- FloorFloor · POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - Pursuant to H.Res. 1721, further proceedings on the motion to agree to the Senate amendment to H.R. 1722 has been postponed.
- FloorFloor · Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 1721, the House proceeded with one hour of debate on the Lynch motion to agree to the Senate amendment to H.R. 1722.
- FloorFloor · Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 1721, Mr. Lynch took from the Speaker's table H.R. 1722 with the Senate amendment thereto, and was recognized for a motion.
- OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 254 - 152 (Roll no. 578).House roll call 578
- Sep 30, 2010FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Sep 29, 2010FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Jul 15, 2010CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- Jul 14, 2010FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 290 - 131 (Roll no. 441).House roll call 441
- FloorFloor · On motion to recommit with instructions Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 303 - 119 (Roll no. 440).House roll call 440
- FloorFloor · The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection.
- FloorFloor · Floor summary: DEBATE - The House proceeded with ten minutes of debate on the motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to report the same back to the House with an amendment to add certain limitations to certain employees authorized to …
- FloorFloor · Mr. Issa moved to recommit with instructions to Oversight and Government.
- FloorFloor · The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 1722.
- FloorFloor · Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1722 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. Bill is closed to amendments. The ame…
- FloorFloor · Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 1509.
- FloorFloor · Rule H. Res. 1509 passed House.
- Jul 13, 2010FloorFloor · Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1509 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1722 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure wil…
- May 6, 2010FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Failed by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 268 - 147 (Roll no. 251).House roll call 251
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
3 amendments offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
H.Amdt. 717HouseRep. Stephen LynchD-MA-9· offered Jul 14, 2010Agreed to
Jul 14, 2010: On agreeing to the Lynch amendment (A002) Agreed to by voice vote.
- Offered, no vote recorded
H.Amdt. 716HouseRules Committee· offered Jul 14, 2010No vote recorded
Amendment in the nature of a substitute.
Jul 14, 2010: House amendment offered
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 4689SenateSen. Daniel AkakaD-HI· offered Sep 29, 2010Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
Sep 29, 2010: Amendment SA 4689 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.