By Chavez                                             H.B. No. 2598
         77R2069 MCK-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to establishing a telecommuting policy for state agencies.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subtitle B, Title 6, Government Code, is amended
 1-5     by adding Chapter 669 to read as follows:
 1-6                         CHAPTER 669.  TELECOMMUTING
 1-7           Sec. 669.001.  DEFINITIONS.  In this chapter:
 1-8                 (1)  "State agency" means:
 1-9                       (A)  any department, commission, board, office,
1-10     or other agency in the executive or legislative branch of state
1-11     government;
1-12                       (B)  the Supreme Court of Texas, the Court of
1-13     Criminal Appeals of Texas, a court of appeals, the Texas Civil
1-14     Judicial Council, the Office of Court Administration of the Texas
1-15     Judicial System, the State Bar of Texas, or another state judicial
1-16     agency; or
1-17                       (C)  a university system or an institution of
1-18     higher education as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code.
1-19                 (2)  "Telecommuting" means using telecommunications
1-20     technology to work from the employee's home or from an office near
1-21     the employee's home,  rather than from the principal place of
1-22     employment.
1-23           Sec. 669.002.  APPLICABILITY. This chapter applies only to a
1-24     state agency that has 50 or more employees.
 2-1           Sec. 669.003.  TELECOMMUTING POLICY. Each state agency shall
 2-2     develop a telecommuting program not later than August 31, 2002.
 2-3           Sec. 669.004.  STATE ENERGY CONSERVATION OFFICE. The State
 2-4     Energy Conservation Office shall adopt policies, procedures, and
 2-5     guidelines for state agencies to use in developing telecommuting
 2-6     programs.  The State Energy Conservation Office shall develop
 2-7     criteria for evaluating telecommuting programs.
 2-8           SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.