Short title

This Act may be cited as the

Small Business Telework Promotion Act

Findings

The Congress finds that— (1)Federal, State, and local governments spend billions of dollars annually on the Nation’s transportation needs; (2)congestion on the Nation’s roads costs lost work time and increased fuel consumption; (3)on average, on-road vehicles contribute 34 percent of nitrogen oxides emissions; (4)it is estimated that staying at home to work requires 3 times less energy consumption than commuting to work; (5)the average travel time to work is 25 minutes each way; (6)telework reduces the volume of peak commuter traffic, thereby reducing traffic congestion and air pollution; (7)the Nation’s communities can benefit from telework, which gives workers more time to spend at home with their families; (8)it is in the national interest to raise awareness within the small business community of telework options for employees; (9)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 irreplaceable institutional memory; (10)companies with telework programs have found that telework can boost employee productivity 5 percent to 20 percent, thereby saving businesses valuable resources and time; (11)individuals with disabilities, including service-disabled veterans, who own or are employed by small businesses could benefit from telework to their workplaces; (12)telework has the potential to provide more employment opportunities in rural communities; and (13)telework is seen as a valuable tool in disaster preparedness and business continuity.

Small business demonstration program

(a)

In general

The Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall carry out a competitive grant program under this section 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 disabilities

In carrying out the program, the Administrator shall make special efforts to conduct outreach to— (1)businesses owned by or employing individuals with disabilities, and service-disabled veterans in particular; (2)Federal, State, and local agencies having knowledge and expertise in assisting individuals with disabilities or service-disabled veterans; and (3)any group or organization, the primary purpose of which is to aid individuals with disabilities or service-disabled veterans. (c)

Permissible activities

Funds received under a grant may be used only to— (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)to entities described in subsection (b); and (3)acquire telework technologies and equipment to be used for demonstration purposes. (d)

Report to congress

Not later than the end of fiscal year 2009, the Administrator 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 report containing the results of an evaluation of the program and any recommendations as to whether the program, with or without modification, should be extended. (e)

Definitions

In this section— (1)the term disability has the same meaning as in section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102); and (2)the term telework means the performance of any portion of work functions by an employee outside the normal place of business under circumstances which reduce or eliminate the need to commute. (f)

Termination

The authority to carry out the program under this section shall terminate at the end of fiscal year 2009. (g)

Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated to the Small Business Administration $5,000,000 to carry out this section.