[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 102 (Monday, July 19, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1589-E1591]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     INTRODUCTION OF THE NATIONAL TELECOMMUTING AND AIR QUALITY ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 19, 1999

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, traffic congestion and lack of mobility 
threatens not only our nation's prosperity, but quality of life and the 
family unit. That is why today, I am introducing the ``National 
Telecommuting and Air Quality Act,'' a bill designed to reduce both air 
pollution and traffic congestion.
  Efforts around the country to widen existing facilities and construct 
new bridges and highways and improve mass transit are essential. 
However, improved and expanded use of new technologies is also 
essential to meeting transportation needs.
  Telecommuting is also part of the answer to reducing traffic 
congestion and air pollution and easing the strain on families trying 
to find time to raise children and make ends meet from one payday to 
the next. It's also part of good environmental stewardship and energy 
conservation. Many jobs can be performed as well or better at home 
through the use of computers, faxes, email, and telephones than at an 
office or in other work centers.
  Mr. Speaker, telecommuting, by large numbers of employees, has many 
positive bi-products to which I would like to draw my colleagues' 
attention.
  Traffic congestion: In cities such as Los Angeles and Washington, 
D.C. (Numbers 1 and 2 on the gridlock list), telecommuting could reduce 
peak commuter traffic. According to research, 40 percent of the 
nation's workforce have jobs which are compatible with telecommuting. 
This reduction would come without paving one more lane of highway or 
adding one more bus or subway car. That saves money and makes 
everyone's life better.
  Air pollution: Automobiles produce about 30 percent of urban smog. 
Telecommuting could take a large bite out of air pollution (including 
nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, lead, particulate matter, volatile 
organic compounds and carbon dioxide). The result helps now and leaves 
a better world for our kids.
  Family wellness: Telecommuting gives workers more time to spend at 
home. Parents could care for infants or small children while they work. 
The stress of what to do with an ill relative--an older parent 
afflicted with Alzheimer's disease, for example--can be lessened. 
Working moms and dads could be better and more nurturing parents 
without having to leave the workforce. Instead of choices, there are 
good choices.

[[Page E1590]]

  Benefits to the handicapped: People with handicaps who lead 
productive and useful lives, but decide that the hassle of getting to 
and from work just isn't worth it, could be in the mainstream of the 
workforce through telecommuting.

  Energy conservation: Our nation remains heavily dependent on foreign 
oil, which is directly related to our culture of two- or more- car 
families and daily driving habits. Replacing the daily commute with 
telecommuting would reduce national oil consumption and help reduce 
dependency on foreign oil.
  Telecommuting is the information age's answer to traffic congestion, 
environmental stewardship and strengthening the family. Studies have 
shown that telecommuting works to increase both employee productivity 
and morale, which in turn helps the business bottom line. The concept 
is a win-win proposal for reducing traffic congestion and improving air 
quality--at virtually no cost to the federal government. Problems of 
employees shortfalls are also eased--people leaving the workforce for 
personal reasons would be less inclined to do so. But outside of the 
communications industry and some participation in the high-tech 
community, American businesses have not yet caught the vision-and the 
benefits of telecommuting.
  I believe the ``National Telecommuting and Air Quality Act'' can 
help.
  The idea is to develop pilot programs to urge employers to encourage 
and allow their employees to telecommute. That, in turn, helps reduce 
regional traffic congestion and air pollution, and also enables the 
region to build new bridges and parkways within clean air regulations. 
The goal is to provide an incentive for the public and private sectors 
to use telecommuting.
  The centerpiece of the telecommuting pilot project is a voluntary 
pollution credits trading program to explore the feasibility of using 
``profit incentives'' to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution.
  The idea works like this: millions of people nationwide get in their 
cars each morning and drive to work. This causes air pollution, and 
urban smog (nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxides, etc.) often referred to 
as ozone precursors. Yet there is little incentive for the private 
sector to become involved to reduce air pollution causing traffic. 
There is no monetary value placed on reducing this source of air 
pollution from a private sector business standpoint.
  The pilot program would establish an air pollution credits trading 
program in which small and large businesses, non-profit organizations, 
federal and state governments, schools and universities, or any other 
employer, can acquire credits by voluntarily participating in an 
employee telecommuting program. Participating employers receive 
pollution credits for a portion of the reduced pollutants which they 
can then sell on an exchange similar to a commodities exchange.

  Manufacturers and utility companies are currently regulated under the 
Clean Air Act and under increased pressure to reduce air pollutants 
from both the federal government and states which are struggling to 
develop implementation plans that improve air quality while allowing 
economic growth. Pollution credits trading is in practice today with 
sulfur dioxides (SOXs), which were mandated to be reduced under the 
Clean Air Act. Trading occurs between utility companies and 
manufacturing operations.
  If the air pollution credit trading program were in place, a 
participating employer which allowed its employees to telecommute on a 
regular basis would receive a pollution reduction credit for keeping 
those cars off the road and would be able to sell a portion of those 
credits for cash on a trading exchange. The size or value of the credit 
would be determined by the estimated pollution reduction.
  Any number of groups could buy the credits including utilities or 
other regulated entities under the Clean Air Act. Even environmental 
groups might want to buy pollution credits and hold on to them. The net 
result is reduced air pollution and traffic congestion, and most 
importantly an improvement in quality of life--more time with the 
family and less time on the road in traffic. And if all the studies are 
correct, these gains will be made with no loss of worker productivity. 
In fact, studies indicate telecommuting increases productivity.
  The bill provides a grant to the National Environmental Policy 
Institute to work with the Department of Transportation, the 
Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy to develop, in 
conjunction with regional businesses and local governments, a 
telecommuting clean air credits trading program in major metropolitan 
regions in the country confronted with significant traffic congestion. 
Included in the pilot will be the Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, 
California, metropolitan regions, the top two most congested regions in 
the nation, and several other heavily congested areas.
  Mr. Speaker, the reason for the pilot program is two-fold. First, as 
chairman of the House Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee and as 
a representative of one of the fastest growing regions in the country, 
I understand today's serious transportation needs. Loudoun County, 
Virginia, in my district, is the third fastest growing county in the 
nation. Between 1976 and 1997 Loudoun County's population has shot up 
175 percent. Those of you familiar with Tysons Corner may be interested 
that in 1976 it had 3.5 million square feet of office space. Today 
there is more than 21 million square feet of office space, a 500 
percent increase.
  With this rapid and sustained growth, it should be no surprise that 
Washington is the second most traffic congested region in the country. 
Spending an hour and a half commuting each way to work is typical for 
many area residents.
  Also, I have long been an advocate of ``family-friendly'' workplace 
policies, particularly with the federal government. Families today are 
under so much daily stress and are faced with too many difficult 
challenges. Perhaps the most frustrating part of an hour and a half 
commute is that in many cases it could have been avoided. I think it is 
even more frustrating when both parents are working. Today's moms and 
dads are challenged to race home and get a hot meal on the table so 
they can sit, eat and talk together as a family.
  In the 101st Congress, I was a part of a successful effort to 
authorize and fund a metro-wide federal telecenter program which now 
boasts a total of 17 regional federal telecenters. There are seven 
telecenters in Northern Virginia, including one of the first 
telecenters to open in the Shenandoah Valley TeleBusiness Center in 
Winchester, Virginia. The centers are up and running with the latest 
technologies and technical support staff on hand. The next logical step 
is to get the public and private sectors involved in a wider 
telecommuting effort for their employees who can take advantage of 
cutting-edge technology to work from home.
  I have talked with leaders in the high-technology community about 
this telecommuting and air quality project. I have urged participation 
of industry leaders such as ATT, Litton Corporation, AOL, Orbital, and 
Science Application International Corporation and would encourage them 
to join in a symposium this fall on telecommuting initiatives for the 
Washington metropolitan region. The symposium would be part of the 
TeleWork America initiative spearheaded by the International Telework 
Association and Council.
  Any weekday morning, you can see the traffic back up along the Dulles 
Toll Road with high-tech buildings dotting the landscape along the 
corridor. If anyone can show how successful telecommuting can be, these 
are the businesses to lead the way.
  Clearly, as we are poised to enter the 21st Century--the 
``Information Age''--telecommuting has a place. I have heard it said 
that work is something you do, not someplace you go. A pollution 
reduction credit trading program will provide the incentive for the 
private sector to lead the way in the telecommuting effort.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope our colleagues will look at this bill and 
consider signing on as a cosponsor of this proposal to promote cleaner 
air and less traffic congestion.

                                H.R. --

       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 ``National Telecommuting and 
     Air Quality Act''.

     SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM FOR DESIGN OF PILOT PROGRAM REGARDING 
                   TELECOMMUTING AS MEANS OF IMPROVING AIR 
                   QUALITY.

       (a) In General.--
       (1) Grant for design of pilot program.--The Secretary of 
     Transportation (in this section referred to as the 
     ``Secretary'') shall make a grant to a nonprofit private 
     entity that is knowledgeable on matters relating to air 
     quality for the purpose of developing a design for the 
     proposed pilot program described in subsection (b). The grant 
     shall be made to the National Environmental Policy Institute 
     (a nonprofit private entity incorporated under the laws of 
     and located in the District of Columbia), if such Institute 
     submits an application for the grant.
       (2) Administration of Program.--The Secretary shall carry 
     out this section (including subsection (c)(1)(C)) in 
     collaboration with the Administrator of the Environmental 
     Protection Agency and the Secretary of Energy.
       (b) Proposed Ozone Precursor Credit-Trading Pilot 
     Program.--
       (1) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
       (A) The term ``participating employers'' means employers 
     that voluntarily authorize and engage in telecommuting.
       (b) The term ``telecommuting'' means the use of 
     telecommunications to perform work functions under 
     circumstances in which the use of telecommunications reduces 
     or eliminates the need to commute.
       (C) The term ``regulated entities'' means entities that are 
     regulated under the Clean

[[Page E1591]]

     Air Act with respect to emissions of one or more ozone 
     precursors.
       (D) The term ``ozone precursors'' means air pollutants that 
     are precursors of (ground level) ozone.
       (E) The term ``VMTs'' means vehicle-miles-traveled.
       (2) Description of program.--For purposes of subsection 
     (a)(1) and other provisions of this section, the proposed 
     pilot program described in this subsection is a pilot program 
     under which the following would occur:
       (A) Methods would be evaluated and developed for 
     calculating reductions in emissions of ozone precursors that 
     can be achieved as a result of reduced VMTs by telecommuting 
     employees of participating employers.
       (B) the estimated reductions in such emissions for the 
     periods of time involved would be deemed to be items that may 
     be transferred by such employers to other persons, and for 
     such purpose the employers would be issued certificates 
     indicating the amount of the reductions achieved for the 
     periods (referred to in this section as ``emission 
     credits'').
       (C) A commercial trading and exchange forum would be made 
     available to the public for trading and exchanging emission 
     credits.
       (D) Through the commercial trading and exchange forum, or 
     through direct trades and exchanges with persons who hold the 
     credits, regulated entities would obtain emission credits.
       (E) Regulated entities would present emission credits to 
     the Federal Government or to the State involved (as 
     applicable under the Clean Air Act) and the amounts of 
     reductions in emissions of ozone precursors represented by 
     the credits would for purposes of the Clean Air Act be deemed 
     to assist in achieving compliance.
       (F) The Federal Government would (explore means) to 
     facilitate the transfer of emission credits between 
     participating employers and regulated and other entities.
       (c) Sites for Operation of Pilot Program.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary shall ensure that the design 
     developed under subsection (a) includes (recommendations for) 
     carrying out the proposed pilot program described in 
     subsection (b) in each of the following geographic areas:
       (A) The greater metropolitan region of the District of 
     Columbia (including areas in the States of Maryland and 
     Virginia).
       (B) The greater metropolitan region of Los Angeles, in the 
     State of California.
       (C) Three additional areas to be selected by the Secretary, 
     after consultation with the grantee under subsection (a).
       (2) Consultation.--The Secretary shall require that, in 
     carrying out paragraph (1) with respect to a geographic area, 
     the grantee under subsection (a) consult with local 
     governments and business organizations in the geographic 
     area.
       (d) Study and Report.--The Secretary shall require that, in 
     developing the design under subsection (a), the grantee under 
     such subsection study and report to the Congress and to the 
     Secretary the potential significance of the proposed pilot 
     program described in subsection (b) as an incentive for 
     expanding telecommuting and reducing VMTs in the geographic 
     areas for which the design is developed, and the extent to 
     which the program would have positive effects on--
       (1) national, State, and local transportation and 
     infrastructure policies;
       (2) energy conservation and consumption;
       (3) national, State, and local air quality; and
       (4) individual, family, and community quality of life.
       (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of 
     making the grant under subsection (a), there is authorized to 
     be appropriated $250,000 for fiscal year 2000. Amounts 
     appropriated under the preceding sentence are available until 
     expended.

     

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