I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2643 

To provide for a review of efforts to reduce Federal agency travel expenses 

through the use of video conferencing and a plan to achieve additional 

reductions in such expenses through the use of video conferencing, to 

implement such plan through rescissions of appropriations, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 10, 2013 

Mr. FITZPATRICK (for himself, Mr. BARROW of Georgia, Mr. THOMPSON of 

Pennsylvania, Mr. WELCH, Mr. COFFMAN, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, 

Mr. MATHESON, and Mr. GRIFFIN of Arkansas) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government 

Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Appropriations, for a period 

to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 

concerned 

A BILL 

To provide for a review of efforts to reduce Federal agency 

travel expenses through the use of video conferencing 

and a plan to achieve additional reductions in such expenses through the use of video conferencing, to implement such plan through rescissions of appropriations, 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stay in Place, Cut 

3 the Waste Act of 2013’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) The Federal Government spends billions of 

7 dollars per year on travel to conferences, training 

8 programs, business meetings, court and administra9 tive hearings, and other related activities. 

10 (2) On November 9, 2011, President Barack 

11 Obama issued Executive Order 13589 (76 Fed. Reg. 

12 70863; relating to promoting efficient spending). 

13 Section 2 of such Executive order directs the head 

14 of each executive department or agency to establish 

15 a plan for fiscal year 2013 to reduce the combined 

16 expenses associated with a variety of activities, in17 cluding travel, by not less than 20 percent below fis18 cal year 2010 levels. 

19 (3) Section 3 of Executive Order 13589 ad20 dresses travel spending and provides, in part, for the 

21 use of video conferencing. 

22 (4) In May 2012, the Director of the Office of 

23 Management and Budget instructed the heads of ex24 ecutive departments and agencies to reduce their 

25 travel budgets in fiscal year 2013 to 30 percent 

26 below fiscal year 2010 levels. 


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1 (5) While the Administration has made efforts 

2 to utilize video conferencing and reduce travel ex3 penses, such practices are still a largely untapped 

4 means of saving taxpayer dollars. 

5 (6) The Telework Enhancement Act of 2010 

6 (Public Law 111–292) requires the head of each ex7 ecutive agency to establish a policy under which eli8 gible employees of such agency may be authorized to 

9 telework. 

10 (7) The video conferencing industry has shifted 

11 from a hardware-based model to a browser-based 

12 model, leading to reduced expenses and increased ef13 ficiency in a system that is able to meet the needs 

14 in daily commerce for full-featured conferencing 

15 using off-the-shelf equipment present in most every 

16 Government office, business, and home. 

17 (8) Video conferencing can be used by Federal 

18 employees instead of or in addition to telephones and 

19 email to enhance communication and problem solv20 ing, to reduce associated carbon footprints, to facili21 tate staff training and interagency meetings, and to 

22 increase employee productivity, thereby helping 

23 shorten project timelines, promote efficiency, im24 prove collaboration among coworkers across the 

25 country, and improve work-life balance. 


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1 SEC. 3. REVIEW, PLAN, AND REPORT ON USING VIDEO CON2 FERENCING TO REDUCE FEDERAL AGENCY 

3 TRAVEL EXPENSES. 

4 (a) REVIEW.—The Director shall review the extent 

5 to which Federal agencies have reduced travel expenses 

6 by the use of video conferencing pursuant to Executive 

7 Order 13589 (76 Fed. Reg. 70863; relating to promoting 

8 efficient spending) and OMB Memorandum 12–12–12. 

9 (b) PLAN.—The Director shall develop a plan for fis10 cal years beginning with fiscal year 2017 to use video con11 ferencing to achieve the lesser of— 

12 (1) a 50 percent reduction in Federal agency 

13 travel expenses below fiscal year 2013 levels; or 

14 (2) the greatest reduction in such expenses the 

15 Director considers feasible. 

16 (c) REPORT.—Not later than six months after the 

17 date of the enactment of this Act, the Director shall sub18 mit to the Committee on Oversight and Government Re19 form of the House of Representatives and the Committee 

20 on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 

21 Senate a report on the review required by subsection (a) 

22 and the plan required by subsection (b). 

23 SEC. 4. IMPLEMENTATION OF PLAN. 

24 Of the amounts made available to Federal agencies 

25 to fund travel expenses for fiscal years beginning with fis26 cal year 2017, the Director shall rescind the amounts that 


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1 are proposed for reduction by the plan developed under 

2 section 3(b). 

3 SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 

4 In this Act: 

5 (1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 

6 the Director of the Office of Management and Budg7 et. 

8 (2) FEDERAL AGENCY.—The term ‘‘Federal 

9 agency’’ means any agency listed in section 901(b) 

10 of title 31, United States Code. 

11 (3) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—The term ‘‘travel ex12 penses’’ means the total amount a Federal agency 

13 pays or reimburses under subchapter I or sub14 chapter II of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 

15 Code. 

Æ 


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