[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2643 Introduced in House (IH)]

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.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Stay in Place, Cut the Waste Act of 
2013''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Federal Government spends billions of dollars per 
        year on travel to conferences, training programs, business 
        meetings, court and administrative hearings, and other related 
        activities.
            (2) On November 9, 2011, President Barack Obama issued 
        Executive Order 13589 (76 Fed. Reg. 70863; relating to 
        promoting efficient spending). Section 2 of such Executive 
        order directs the head of each executive department or agency 
        to establish a plan for fiscal year 2013 to reduce the combined 
        expenses associated with a variety of activities, including 
        travel, by not less than 20 percent below fiscal year 2010 
        levels.
            (3) Section 3 of Executive Order 13589 addresses travel 
        spending and provides, in part, for the use of video 
        conferencing.
            (4) In May 2012, the Director of the Office of Management 
        and Budget instructed the heads of executive departments and 
        agencies to reduce their travel budgets in fiscal year 2013 to 
        30 percent below fiscal year 2010 levels.
            (5) While the Administration has made efforts to utilize 
        video conferencing and reduce travel expenses, such practices 
        are still a largely untapped means of saving taxpayer dollars.
            (6) The Telework Enhancement Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-
        292) requires the head of each executive agency to establish a 
        policy under which eligible employees of such agency may be 
        authorized to telework.
            (7) The video conferencing industry has shifted from a 
        hardware-based model to a browser-based model, leading to 
        reduced expenses and increased efficiency in a system that is 
        able to meet the needs in daily commerce for full-featured 
        conferencing using off-the-shelf equipment present in most 
        every Government office, business, and home.
            (8) Video conferencing can be used by Federal employees 
        instead of or in addition to telephones and email to enhance 
        communication and problem solving, to reduce associated carbon 
        footprints, to facilitate staff training and interagency 
        meetings, and to increase employee productivity, thereby 
        helping shorten project timelines, promote efficiency, improve 
        collaboration among coworkers across the country, and improve 
        work-life balance.

SEC. 3. REVIEW, PLAN, AND REPORT ON USING VIDEO CONFERENCING TO REDUCE 
              FEDERAL AGENCY TRAVEL EXPENSES.

    (a) Review.--The Director shall review the extent to which Federal 
agencies have reduced travel expenses by the use of video conferencing 
pursuant to Executive Order 13589 (76 Fed. Reg. 70863; relating to 
promoting efficient spending) and OMB Memorandum 12-12-12.
    (b) Plan.--The Director shall develop a plan for fiscal years 
beginning with fiscal year 2017 to use video conferencing to achieve 
the lesser of--
            (1) a 50 percent reduction in Federal agency travel 
        expenses below fiscal year 2013 levels; or
            (2) the greatest reduction in such expenses the Director 
        considers feasible.
    (c) Report.--Not later than six months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit to the Committee on 
Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a 
report on the review required by subsection (a) and the plan required 
by subsection (b).

SEC. 4. IMPLEMENTATION OF PLAN.

    Of the amounts made available to Federal agencies to fund travel 
expenses for fiscal years beginning with fiscal year 2017, the Director 
shall rescind the amounts that are proposed for reduction by the plan 
developed under section 3(b).

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the Office of Management and Budget.
            (2) Federal agency.--The term ``Federal agency'' means any 
        agency listed in section 901(b) of title 31, United States 
        Code.
            (3) Travel expenses.--The term ``travel expenses'' means 
        the total amount a Federal agency pays or reimburses under 
        subchapter I or subchapter II of chapter 57 of title 5, United 
        States Code.
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