[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 34 (Wednesday, March 14, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E359]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    SMALL BUSINESS TELECOMMUTING ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 14, 2001

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, today I am joined by my 
colleagues, Representatives Frost, Owens, Hilliard, McKinney, Baldacci, 
Blumenauer, Cummings, Davis (IL), Hinojosa, Kucinich, McGovern, 
Tauscher, Baird, Baldwin, Tubbs Jones, Udall (NM), Wu, and Jo Ann Davis 
(VA), in introducing the Small Business Telecommuting Act to assist our 
nation's small businesses in establishing successful telework programs 
for their employees. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts will be 
introducing companion legislation in the Senate.
  Across America, numerous employers are responding to the needs of 
their employees and establishing telecommuting programs. In 2000, there 
were an estimated 16.5 million teleworkers. By the end of 2004, there 
will be an estimated 30 million teleworkers, representing an increase 
of almost 100%. Unfortunately, the majority of growth in new 
teleworkers comes from organizations employing over 1,500 people, while 
just a few years ago, most teleworkers worked for small to medium-sized 
organizations.
  By not taking advantage of modern technology and establishing 
successful telecommuting programs, small businesses are losing out on a 
host of benefits that will save them money, and make them more 
competitive. The reported productivity improvement of home-based 
teleworkers averages 15%, translating to an average bottom-line impact 
of $9,712 per teleworker. Additionally, most experienced teleworkers 
are determined to continue teleworking, meaning a successful telework 
program can be an important tool in the recruitment and retention of 
qualified and skilled employees. By establishing successful telework 
programs, small business owners would be able to retain these valuable 
employees by allowing them to work from a remote location, such as 
their home or a telework center.
  In addition to the cost savings realized by businesses that employ 
teleworkers, there are a number of related benefits to society and the 
employee. For example, telecommuters help reduce traffic and cut down 
on air pollution by staying off the roads during rush hour. Fully 80% 
of home-only teleworkers commute to work on days they are not 
teleworking. Their one-way commute distance averages 19.7 miles, versus 
13.3 miles for non-teleworkers, meaning employees that take advantage 
of telecommuting programs are, more often than not, those with the 
longest commutes. Teleworking also gives employees more time to spend 
with their families and reduces stress levels by eliminating the 
pressure of a long commute.
  Mr. Speaker, our legislation seeks to extend the benefits of 
successful telecommuting programs to more of our nation's small 
businesses. Specifically, it establishes a pilot program in the Small 
Business Administration (SBA) to raise awareness about telecommuting 
among small business employers and to encourage those small businesses 
to establish telecommuting programs for their employees.
  Additionally, an important provision in our bill directs the SBA 
Administrator to undertake special efforts for businesses owned by, or 
employing, persons with disabilities and disabled America veterans. At 
the end of the day, telecommuting can provide more than just 
environmental benefits and improved quality of life. It can open the 
door to people who have been precluded from working in a traditional 
office setting due to physical disabilities.
  Our legislation is also limited in cost and scope. It establishes the 
pilot program in a maximum of five SBA regions and caps the total cost 
to five million dollars over two years. It also restricts the SBA to 
activities specifically proscribed in the legislation: developing 
educational materials; conducting outreach to small business; and 
acquiring equipment for demonstration purposes. Finally, it requires 
the SBA to prepare and submit a report to Congress evaluating the pilot 
program.
  Several hurdles to establishing successful telecommuting programs 
could be cleared by enacting our legislation. In fact, the number one 
reported obstacle to implementing a telecommuting program is a lack of 
know-how. Our bill will go a long way towards educating small business 
owners on how they can draft guidelines to make a telework program an 
affordable, manageable reality.

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