HJR 144: Telework Opportunities

June 14, 2007

The Joint Subcommittee to Study Telework Opportunities in the Commonwealth held its first meeting of the 2007 interim on June 14 in Richmond with Delegate Timothy D. Hugo as chair.

Overview

Lisa Wallmeyer, staff to the joint subcommittee, provided an overview of policy issues addressed by the 2006 committee and recent legislation related to telework. Of particular note were HB 2381 (May), SB 845 (Davis) and SB 1004 (Davis), all adopted by the General Assembly in 2007. HB 2381 authorizes the Virginia Resources Authority to fund wireless broadband projects. The bill also specifies that the Virginia Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act can be used for projects related to the technology and infrastructure to deploy wireless broadband to schools, businesses and residential areas.

SB 845 requires the Chief Information Officer of the Commonwealth to develop policies, procedures and standards to maintain the security data maintained and used by state agencies. SB 1004 authorizes state agencies to use computer equipment not owned by the Commonwealth to telecommute so long as the use meets the information security standards established by the Virginia Information Technologies Agency or the employee receives an exception from the Chief Information Officer of the Commonwealth or his designee.
HB 2437 (Frederick) and SB 1266 (Herring), as introduced, would have provided tax credits for employers of up to $1200 for employees who telework. The legislation also would have created a 100% tax credit for conducting a telework assessment in the year prior to implementation. Neither of these bills passed the General Assembly.

Speakers:

Farley Beaton - Chief Technology and Security Officer, Virginia Retirement System
Mr. Beaton, who is also a member of the Council on Technology Services (COTS), provided an overview of the work of COTS as it relates to telework. He chairs the COTS Mobile Workforce, whose primary mission is to identify information that makes it easier for managers to pursue telework programs. He discussed the Mobile Workforce workgroup's paper Teleworking Guide to Best Practices. Mr. Beaton described why teleworking is important to the Commonwealth and the challenges it faces in Virginia. He also gave an overview of best practices to ensure successful adoption of telework programs.

Work Plan

Chairman Hugo asked that members suggest ideas for a study work plan. The committee identified several potential agenda items for future meetings, including:

• The need for creation of telework resource handbooks.
• Programs to offer training on telework.
• Presentations by key leaders in telework.
• The possibility of conducting a future committee meeting by teleconference.
• Incentives that may be used by the Commonwealth to encourage adoption of telework.
• Punitive actions that may be needed to ensure compliance.

Next Meeting

The next meeting date was not determined and will be posted on the study website as soon as available. Handouts and other information from the meeting may also be accessed on the website.

Chairman:
The Hon. Timothy D. Hugo

For information, contact:
Lisa Wallmeyer, Patrick Cushing, Amigo Wade, DLS Staff

Website:
http://dls.state.va.us/telework.htm

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