,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #hjg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #ae1         
#bjbc,mr4 ,wicker introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,homeland
 ,security and ,governmental ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to require the head of each 
agency to establish a plan to resume    
in-person operations1 and for other     
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,return ,employees  
to ,understaffed ,work ,sites to ,reopen
 ,now ,act of #bjbc or the ,,return ,act
 of #bjbc4  #b4 ,agency plans to resume 
in-person operations  7a7 ,definitions  
,in this section3 7#a7 ,agency ,the term
 agency has the meaning given the term  
in section #aja of title #ca1 ,united   
,states ,code4  7#b7 ,covered agreement 
,the term covered agreement means an    
agreement between an agency and a labor 
organization that-- 7,a7 is entered into
 before the date on which the agency    
submits a plan under subsection 7b77#a72

 and  7,b7 relates to the resumption of 
in-person operations by the agency4     
7#c7 ,employee ,the term employee means 
an employee of an agency4  7#d7         
,essential ,government service ,the term
 essential ,government service1 with    
respect to an agency1 includes-- 7,a7   
the facilitation of the delivery1       
receipt1 processing1 or issuance of a   
document1 fund1 or permit2  7,b7 the    
facilitation of access to public lands  
or another public space that is open to 
the public for use2  7,c7 the conduction
 of an in-person activity or interaction
 that is required by law to be performed
 in person2 and  7,d7 the conduction of 
an inspection or other in-person        
activity that cannot be replicated      
virtually or without a physical         
presence4  7#e7 ,official work site ,the
 term official work site means the place
 where an employee works1 or at which   
the activities of an employee are based1
 as determined by the employing agency4 
7#f7 ,remote work ,the term remote work 

means an arrangement under which an     
employee is scheduled to perform the    
work of the employee at an alternative  
work site4  7b7 ,plans  7#a7 ,in general
 ,not later than #cj days after the date
 of enactment of this ,act1 the head of 
each agency shall submit to ,congress   
and publish on the website of the agency
 a plan for the agency to resume        
in-person operations4  7#b7 ,contents   
,subject to paragraph 7#c71 the plan of 
an agency required under paragraph 7#a7 
shall include-- 7,a7 the policy of the  
agency with respect to permitting       
permanent remote work capabilities for  
employees who can successfully achieve  
the duties of those employees away from 
the official work sites of those        
employees1 which shall include1 if      
applicable1 the policy of the agency    
under section #fejb7;a77#a7 of title #e1
 ,united ,states ,code2  7,b7           
requirements for employees that1 as part
 of the duties of those employees1      
handle original documents issued by the 

,federal ,government or a ,state        
government that contain sensitive or    
private information to return to the    
official work sites of those employees2 
7,c7 explicit guidelines for protecting 
sensitive or private information if any 
employee described in subparagraph 7,b7 
must perform remote work2  7,d7 metrics 
to measure the work productivity of     
employees performing remote work to     
identify employees that fail to fulfill 
the duties of those employees2  7,e7 a  
plan to provide essential ,government   
services in person for individuals in   
the ,united ,states2  7,f7 a contingency
 plan in the event that the rate of     
,,covid-#ai transmission increases in a 
region in which official work sites of  
employees of the agency are located1    
which shall be based on metrics for     
,,covid-#ai transmission to trigger the 
contingency plan established by the     
agency2  7,g7 an assurance that the     
agency will update the physical address 
of any employee of the agency who       

permanently moves for the purposes of   
determining whether the employee is     
eligible to receive a comparability     
payment under section #ecjd of title #e1
 ,united ,states ,code2 and  7,h7       
measures to prepare for future public   
health emergencies that can be quickly  
implemented if remote work becomes      
necessary4  7#c7 ,labor agreements ,if a
 plan submitted by an agency under      
paragraph 7#a7 conflicts with any       
provision of a covered agreement to     
which the agency is a party1 the head of
 the agency shall1 not later than #fj   
days after the date on which the agency 
submits the plan under that paragraph1  
after consultation with the applicable  
labor organization1 and notwithstanding 
any other provision of law or regulation
 regarding the covered agreement1 modify
 the covered agreement so that the      
covered agreement is consistent with1   
and complies with1 the terms of that    
plan4  7c7 ,,gsa report ,not later than 
#fj days after the date of enactment of 

this ,act1 the head of each agency shall
 submit to the ,administrator of        
,general ,services a report on the      
physical work spaces used by the agency 
that recommends the termination of any  
leases of the agency for physical work  
spaces that are underused by the agency4