I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2788
To direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to conduct 
a pilot program to raise awareness about telework among small business 
employers, and to encourage such employers to offer telework options 
to employees. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 17, 2003
Mr. UDALL of Colorado (for himself, Mr. FROST, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. 
ISSA, Mr. RUSH, Mr. ROSS, Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia, Mr. 
BLUMENAUER, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. FILNER, Mr. UDALL of 
New Mexico, and Mr. WYNN) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Small Business 
A BILL 
To direct the Administrator of the Small Business Adminis-
tration to conduct a pilot program to raise awareness 
about telework among small business employers, and to 
encourage such employers to offer telework options to 
employees.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Small Business 
Telework Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds that—
(1) telework reduces the volume of peak com-
muter traffic, thereby reducing traffic congestion 
and air pollution; 
(2) the Nation’s communities can benefit from 
telework, which gives workers more time to spend at 
home with their families; 
(3) it is in the national interest to raise aware-
ness within the small business community of 
telework options for employees; 
(4) the small business community can benefit 
from offering telework options to employees because 
such options make it easier for small employers to 
retain valued employees and employees with irre-
placeable institutional memory; 
(5) companies with telework programs have 
found that telework can boost employee productivity 
5 percent to 20 percent, thereby saving businesses 
valuable resources and time; 
(6) 60 percent of the workforce is involved in 
information work (an increase of 43 percent since 
1990), allowing and encouraging decentralization of 
paid work to occur; 
(7) individuals with disabilities, including dis-
abled American veterans, who own or are employed
by small businesses could benefit from telework to 
their workplaces; and 
(8) telework has the potential to provide more 
employment opportunities in rural communities. 
SEC. 3. SMALL BUSINESS TELEWORK PILOT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In accordance with this Act, the 
Administrator shall conduct, in not more than 5 of the 
Small Business Administration’s regions, a pilot program 
to raise awareness about telework among small business 
employers and to encourage such employers to offer 
telework options to employees. 
(b) SPECIAL OUTREACH TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DIS-
ABILITIES.—In carrying out subsection (a), the Adminis-
trator shall make special efforts to conduct outreach to—
(1) businesses owned by or employing individ-
uals with disabilities, and disabled American vet-
erans in particular; 
(2) Federal, State, and local agencies having 
knowledge and expertise in assisting individuals with 
disabilities or disabled American veterans; and 
(3) any group or organization, the primary pur-
pose of which is to aid individuals with disabilities 
or disabled American veterans. 
(c) PERMISSIBLE ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out the 
pilot program, the Administrator may only—
(1) produce educational materials and conduct 
presentations designed to raise awareness in the 
small business community of the benefits and the 
ease of telework; 
(2) conduct outreach—
(A) to small business concerns that are 
considering offering telework options; and 
(B) as provided in subsection (b); and 
(3) acquire telework technologies and equip-
ment to be used for demonstration purposes. 
(d) SELECTION OF REGIONS.—In determining which 
regions will participate in the pilot program, the Adminis-
trator shall give priority consideration to regions in which 
Federal agencies and private-sector employers have dem-
onstrated a strong regional commitment to telework. 
SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 
Not later than 2 years after the first date on which 
funds are appropriated to carry out this Act, the Adminis-
trator shall transmit to the Committee on Small Business 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate a re-
port containing the results of an evaluation of the pilot 
program and any recommendations as to whether the pilot 
program, with or without modification, should be extended
to include the participation of all Small Business Adminis-
tration regions. 
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act—
(1) the term ‘‘Administrator’’ means the Ad-
ministrator of the Small Business Administration; 
(2) the term ‘‘disability’’ has the same meaning 
as in section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities 
Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102); 
(3) the term ‘‘pilot program’’ means the pro-
gram established under section 3; and 
(4) the term ‘‘telework’’ means the performance 
of any portion of work functions by an employee out-
side the normal place of business under cir-
cumstances which reduce or eliminate the need to 
commute. 
SEC. 6. TERMINATION. 
The pilot program shall terminate 2 years after the 
first date on which funds are appropriated to carry out 
this Act. 
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Small 
Business Administration $5,000,000 to carry out this Act.
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