,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cefa  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,march #bb1    
#bjbj,mr4 ,van ,hollen 7for himself1    
,mr4 ,lankford1 and ,ms4 ,sinema7       
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,homeland ,security and   
,governmental ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to  
require ,federal agencies to permit     
employees to telework full-time during  
the public health emergency relating to 
,,covid-#ai1 and for other purposes4    
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,emergency ,telework ,act of    
#bjbj4  #b4 ,telework  7a7 ,definitions 
,in this section-- 7#a7 the term agency 
means each authority of the executive1  
legislative1 or judicial branch of the  
,government of the ,united ,states2     
7#b7 the term covered period means the  
period in which the public health       
emergency declared by the ,secretary of 
,health and ,human ,services on ,january
 #ca1 #bjbj1 under section #cai of the  

,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #bdg;d7 is initially in       
effect2  7#c7 the term ,director means  
the ,director of the ,office of         
,personnel ,management2  7#d7 the term  
eligible employee means an employee     
who-- 7,a7 the head of the agency       
employing the employee has determined is
 eligible to telework2 and  7,b7 has not
 been officially disciplined for-- 7i7  
being absent without permission for more
 than #e days in any calendar year2 or  
7ii7 viewing1 downloading1 or exchanging
 pornography1 including child           
pornography1 on a ,federal ,government  
computer or while performing official   
,federal ,government duties2  7#e7 the  
term employee means an employee of an   
agency2  7#f7 the term ,secretary means 
the ,secretary of ,health and ,human    
,services2 and  7#g7 the term telework  
has the meaning given the term in       
section #feja of title #e1 ,united      
,states ,code4  7b7 ,requirements  7#a7 
,during covered period ,notwithstanding 

any provision of chapter #fe of title   
#e1 ,united ,states ,code1 the head of  
each agency shall-- 7,a7 permit eligible
 employees with respect to the agency to
 telework on a full-time basis during   
the covered period2 and  7,b7 evaluate  
whether the agency head should1 with    
respect to employees of the agency for  
whom the agency head has not made a     
determination described in subsection   
7a77#d77;,a71 make such a determination4
  7#b7 ,during renewal  7,a7 ,in general
 ,if the covered period is renewed1 the 
requirements under paragraph 7#a7 shall 
remain in effect during that renewal if 
the ,secretary1 in coordination with the
 ,director1 determines that those       
requirements would reduce the risk of   
community spread with respect to        
,,covid-#ai4  7,b7 ,requirements not    
continued ,if1 under subparagraph 7,a71 
the ,secretary1 in coordination with the
 ,director1 determines that the         
requirements under paragraph 7#a7 shall 
not remain in effect during a renewal of

 the covered period1 the head of each   
agency shall-- 7i7 permit eligible      
employees with respect to the agency who
 are at high-risk with respect to the   
public health emergency described in    
subsection 7a77#b7 7as determined       
according to guidance issued by the     
,centers for ,disease ,control and      
,prevention7 to telework on a full-time 
basis during that renewal2  7ii7 during 
that renewal1 permit full-time telework 
for eligible employees with respect to  
the agency1 the work sites of whom are  
in areas in which the maximum use of    
telework would reduce the risk of       
community spread with respect to        
,,covid-#ai1 as determined by the       
,secretary1 in coordination with the    
,director2 and  7iii7 evaluate whether  
employees of the agency with respect to 
whom the agency head has not made a     
determination described in subsection   
7a77#d77;,a71 but who otherwise are     
described in clauses 7i7 and 7ii71 may  
become eligible employees during that   

renewal4  7#c7 ,waiver ,the head of an  
agency may waive the requirements of any
 provision of paragraph 7#a7 or 7#b7    
that applies with respect to an employee
 of the agency if the agency head       
determines that there is a compelling   
reason for the waiver that relates to   
the effective operation of the ,federal 
,government4  7#d7 ,plan for future     
outbreaks ,not later than #a year after 
the date of enactment of this ,act1 the 
,director1 in coordination with the     
,secretary1 shall establish a policy--  
7,a7 to maximize the use of telework by 
the ,federal workforce during a period  
in which there is in effect a public    
health emergency that the ,secretary of 
,human ,services declares under section 
#cai of the ,public ,health ,service    
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bdg;d7 on a date   
that is after the date of enactment of  
this ,act with respect to an outbreak of
 an infectious disease2 and  7,b7 that  
shall be designed to be implemented     
before implementing any continuity of   

operations plan with respect to any     
outbreak described in subparagraph 7,a74