Bill Text: NJ A1196 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires State agencies to adopt telecommuting programs and reports to be made on implementation of these programs.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-12 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee [A1196 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-A1196-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman SCOTT RUDDER
District 8 (Burlington)
Assemblywoman DAWN MARIE ADDIEGO
District 8 (Burlington)
SYNOPSIS
Requires State agencies to adopt telecommuting programs and reports to be made on implementation of these programs.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning telecommuting and supplementing Title 27 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in this act:
"State agency" means any State office, department, division, bureau, board, or commission located in the Executive, Judicial or Legislative Branches of State Government.
"Telecommuting" or "teleworking" means the employee's performing of normal and regular work functions on a workday that ordinarily would be performed at the employer's principal place of business at a different location, thereby eliminating or substantially reducing the physical commute to and from that employee's principal place of business. "Telecommuting" or "teleworking" shall not include home based businesses, extensions of the workday, or work performed on a weekend or holiday.
"Telecommuting program" or "telework program" means a written program containing specific criteria or procedures for promoting and encouraging telecommuting or teleworking.
2. Each State agency shall adopt a telecommuting or telework program to be applied consistently throughout the agency. The program shall require the agency, in exercising its discretion, to consider an employee request to engage in telecommuting in relation to the agency's operating and service needs.
3. Each State agency shall annually submit to the State Treasurer a report containing: the number of employees telecommuting; a summary of efforts made by the agency to promote and encourage telecommuting; an evaluation of those efforts; and any other information deemed relevant by the State Treasurer.
4. After receipt of the information supplied by the State agencies pursuant to section 3 of this act, the State Treasurer shall annually submit a comprehensive report to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.169 (C.52:14-19.1), which shall include, but not be limited to, the following: the number of employees telecommuting; a summary of the efforts made by each reporting agency to promote and encourage telecommuting; an evaluation of the effectiveness of those efforts; statistical data indicating, to the extent measurable, the reduction in the number of trip miles of employees; the number of daily hours reduced by the use of telecommuting; a study of traffic patterns and vehicle trip reductions to and from Trenton and the surrounding areas which contain State agency facilities; the monetary savings realized by telecommuting employees; the productivity levels of telecommuting employees as compared to the levels of non-telecommuting employees in identical or comparable positions; and any other information deemed relevant.
5. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires State agencies in the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Branches of State Government to adopt a telecommuting or telework program which is a written program containing specific criteria or procedures for promoting and encouraging telecommuting or teleworking. Telecommuting or teleworking involves employees performing normal and regular work functions on a workday that would ordinarily be performed at the employer's principal place of business at a different location, thereby eliminating or reducing employee commuting time.
Each State agency is to submit an annual report to the State Treasurer containing information about the implementation of its telecommuting program. The State Treasurer, after receiving the information supplied by the State agencies, is to submit a comprehensive report on the State agencies' telecommuting programs, including statistical data on telecommuting, savings realized, and the comparison of the productivity of telecommuting employees versus comparable non-telecommuting employees.
