S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3725
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 7, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. EPSTEIN, GUNTHER -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Labor
 
 AN ACT to create a demonstration program and task force on teleworking
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 the "Telework 2023 Act".
   §  2.  Legislative intent. The legislature takes notice of the growing
 practice of the use of telework as a future form of work away  from  the
 principal place of employment. Telecommuting is being used more and more
 by  businesses  as  a  way  to save money for employers by reducing real
 estate costs, reducing contributions to workers' compensation  premiums,
 allowing  more  freedom  for  a balance between work and family life for
 employees, reducing  air  pollution  and  traffic  congestion,  reducing
 absenteeism,  and  accommodating  those  who  are  disabled.  For  these
 reasons, telework has a very promising future as a form of  out  of  the
 office work.
   Teleworking  warrants  further  research to enable the state to move a
 step closer to using it as a way to save taxpayer's  money,  while  also
 benefiting the state and its employees.
   §  3. Definitions. As used in this act, the following terms shall have
 the following meanings:
   (a) "Remote work center (telework center)" means a workspace typically
 close to employees' homes used part-time by remote workers in  full-time
 or part-time employment.
   (b)  "Satellite  office" means a workspace typically used full-time by
 employees who live near them.
   (c) "Telecommuter" means an employee who has a primary office  in  his
 or her employer's office, but has the training, permission, and telecom-
 puting  technology  to  work on an as-needed basis in a remote location,
 typically in the employee's home.
   (d) "Teleworker" means an employee with the training, permission,  and
 telecomputing  technology to work part- or full-time in a location other
 than his or her employer's main office.
 
              

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07723-01-3
 A. 3725                             2
 
   § 4. Telework 2023 task force and demonstration program.  (a) There is
 hereby created  the telework 2023 task force consisting of  the  depart-
 ments  of environmental conservation, transportation, and civil service,
 the workers' compensation board, the office of general services, and the
 office  of advocate for persons with disabilities.  The task force shall
 be chaired by the designee of the governor.  The chair may appoint other
 state administrative agencies which may prove beneficial to the work  of
 the task force as ad hoc members. The chair may also appoint individuals
 and  representatives  of  organizations  other than state administrative
 agencies to an advisory committee to advise on any aspect of  its  func-
 tions,  powers,  and duties.   The temporary president of the senate and
 the speaker of the assembly shall each appoint a  liaison  to  the  task
 force.    The  advisory committee may be compensated for only actual and
 necessary expenses from existing funds from task force agencies.
   (b) The task force shall be the administrative forum for:
   (1) identifying ways to improve productivity through teleworking; and
   (2) advancing the goal of promoting teleworking.
   (c) The task force shall:
   (1) identify technical assistance and training for state  agencies  to
 assist them in implementing teleworking;
   (2)  identify  and  recommend  means  to  improve productivity, reduce
 costs, and enhance the quality of life of employees through teleworking;
   (3) identify and assist in the development and dissemination of useful
 models for teleworking; and
   (4) review applicable statutes and budget authorization,  the  current
 activities,  regulations, policies, proposed budgets and proposed legis-
 lation of the demonstration program agencies which  would  affect  tele-
 working  and  make  recommendations to those agencies and the governor's
 office, as appropriate, on any changes that would  facilitate  telework-
 ing.
   (d)  The  task force shall implement a demonstration program involving
 employees  of  the  following  state  departments:  financial  services,
 health,  and  transportation  and  the division of housing and community
 renewal, in collaboration with such agencies.
   (1) In the first phase, the task force and demonstration program agen-
 cies shall identify suitable employees for participation.
   (2) In the second phase, the  task  force  agencies  shall  study  the
 impact  of  teleworking on the demonstration program agencies, including
 benefits and detriments to the agencies and  the  employees.  Each  task
 force  agency  shall  apply  its expertise as follows: The department of
 environmental conservation shall report on the  impact  teleworking  has
 upon  the  environment,  the workers' compensation board shall report on
 the impact on workers' compensation claims, benefits, and premiums,  the
 department  of  transportation shall report on reductions in transporta-
 tion use, the department of civil service shall report on the impact  to
 employees  and  employers  concerning  absenteeism and productivity, the
 office of general services shall report reductions in  necessary  office
 and parking space, and the office of advocate for persons with disabili-
 ties  shall  report  on  the  benefits of accommodation to those who are
 permanently and temporarily disabled.
   § 5. Report. Eighteen months after the implementation  of  the  demon-
 stration program, it shall be concluded, and the task force shall report
 its  findings  and  recommendations to the governor and the legislature.
 Such report shall be bound and made available to the public.
   § 6. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeed-
 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  3725--A
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 7, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. EPSTEIN, GUNTHER -- read once and referred to the
   Committee  on  Labor  --  committee  discharged, bill amended, ordered
   reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN ACT directing a state agency telework report
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 the "State agency telework report act".
   § 2. Legislative intent. The legislature takes notice of  the  growing
 practice  of  the use of telework as a future form of work away from the
 principal place of employment. Telecommuting is being used more and more
 by businesses as a way to save money for employers by reducing  contrib-
 utions  to  workers'  compensation premiums, allowing more freedom for a
 balance between  work  and  family  life  for  employees,  reducing  air
 pollution  and traffic congestion, reducing absenteeism, and accommodat-
 ing those who are disabled.
   Teleworking warrants further research to enable the state  to  move  a
 step  closer  to  using it as a way to save taxpayer's money, while also
 benefiting the state and its employees.
   § 3. Definitions. As used in this act, the following terms shall  have
 the following meanings:
   (a)  "State   agency" means any state department, board, bureau, divi-
 sion, commission, committee, public  authority,  public  benefit  corpo-
 ration,  council,  office, or other  governmental  entity  performing  a
 governmental or proprietary function for the state.
   (b) "Telework" means to perform normal and regular work functions on a
 workday that ordinarily would be performed at the state  agency's  offi-
 cial principal location or locations, at a different location.
   § 4. State agency telework report.  (a) Each state agency shall submit
 a  report to the department of civil service by July 1, 2024 which shall
 contain the following:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07723-03-3
              

 A. 3725--A                          2
 
   (i) Number of employees that teleworked in 2023;
   (ii) Job titles that teleworked in 2023;
   (iii) Number of days teleworked by anonymized employee in 2023;
   (iv) Number of days teleworked by job title in 2023;
   (v) Any benefits of telework remarked by the agency;
   (vi) Any disadvantages of telework remarked by the agency; and
   (vii) A copy of the agency's official telework policy, if any, includ-
 ing how employees and job titles are chosen for telework.
   In  addition,  each  state agency shall allow employees to anonymously
 submit their opinions of the  agency's  telecommuting  policy,  or  lack
 thereof,  which  the agencies shall include in the telework state agency
 report due to the department of civil service and which shall be  summa-
 rized  in  the  finalized  report  compiled  by  the department of civil
 service pursuant to subdivision (b) of this section.
   (b) On or before September 1, 2024 the  department  of  civil  service
 shall  provide  a  report  compiling all the agency telework reports and
 submit such compiled report to the  speaker  of  the  assembly  and  the
 temporary president of the senate.
   § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.