1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to state government; requiring state agencies to develop policies 
1.3 	regarding telecommuting by state employees; requiring a report.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. DEFINITIONS.
 1.6 		Subdivision 1.Scope. For purposes of sections 1 to 5, the following terms have 
1.7 	the meanings given them.
1.8 		Subd. 2.Agency. "Agency" means any board, commission, authority, department, 
1.9 	entity, or organization of the executive branch of state government.
1.10 		Subd. 3.Alternate work location.  "Alternate work location" means a worksite 
1.11 	other than a central workplace, including an employee's home, where official state 
1.12 	business is conducted.
1.13 		Subd. 4.Central workplace. "Central workplace" means an assigned place of 
1.14 	work or duty station owned and operated by the state that is the primary workstation 
1.15 	for employees.
1.16 		Subd. 5.Department. "Department" means the Department of Finance.
1.17 		Subd. 6.Telework. "Telework" means a work arrangement in which supervisors 
1.18 	direct or permit employees to perform their regular job duties at an alternative work 
1.19 	location for a specified number of days per week.
1.20 		Subd. 7.Telework agreement. "Telework agreement" means a written agreement 
1.21 	between an employer and employee that contains the terms and conditions of an 
1.22 	employee's work at an alternative work location.
1.23 		Subd. 8.Work schedule. "Work schedule" means an employee's hours of work in a 
1.24 	central workplace or alternate work location.

2.1 	Sec. 2. AGENCY TELEWORK RESPONSIBILITIES.
 2.2 		Subdivision 1.Telework committees; report. Each state agency shall organize a 
2.3 	telework committee composed of representatives of management and nonmanagement 
2.4 	employees from all parts of the agency, including exclusive representatives of agency 
2.5 	employees. Each telework committee shall, by November 1, 2010, submit a draft telework 
2.6 	proposal to the agency executive director, board, or commission that contains, at a 
2.7 	minimum, the following elements:
2.8 	(1) goals and scope of an agencywide telework program;
2.9 	(2) how telework will benefit the agency;
2.10 	(3) work tasks that are appropriate and inappropriate for telework;
2.11 	(4) a selection process for teleworkers;
2.12 	(5) how teleworkers will communicate with supervisors;
2.13 	(6) how employees will be supervised; and
2.14 	(7) how a telework program will be evaluated.
2.15 		Subd. 2.Review; telework policy. An agency executive director, board, or 
2.16 	commission must review and approve, reject, or modify the draft telework proposal. A 
2.17 	telework policy document, incorporating the comments of the executive director, board, 
2.18 	or commission on the draft proposal, must be submitted to the department by the agency 
2.19 	by January 1, 2010.

2.20 	Sec. 3. DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE TELEWORK RESPONSIBILITIES.
 2.21 		Subdivision 1.Policy development. The department must develop telework policies 
2.22 	that will apply to all state agencies, including, at a minimum:
2.23 	(1) teleworker equipment and software needs, and how costs should be allocated 
2.24 	between agencies and employees;
2.25 	(2) liability issues;
2.26 	(3) procedures regarding a teleworker's working on restricted-access materials at an 
2.27 	alternate work location, and how confidentiality of data and security can be maintained; 
2.28 	and
2.29 	(4) training for telework employees and supervisors of telework employees.
2.30 		Subd. 2.Telework agreement. The department must develop a sample telework 
2.31 	agreement form that each telework employee and that employee's supervisor must sign. 
2.32 	A telework agreement must address the following issues:
2.33 	(1) the work schedule, and procedures for changing it;
2.34 	(2) equipment and supplies that a telework employee will use, and who is responsible 
2.35 	for maintaining them;
3.1 	(3) elements of the policies developed under subdivision 1; and
3.2 	(4) other elements as determined by the department.

3.3 	Sec. 4. EXISTING AGREEMENTS.
 3.4 	Nothing in the policies developed under sections 2 and 3 abrogates rights provided 
3.5 	under a collective bargaining agreement.

3.6 	Sec. 5. REPORT.
 3.7 	By March 1, 2010, the department shall submit a report to the chairs and ranking 
3.8 	minority members of the senate and house of representatives committees with primary 
3.9 	jurisdiction over state government operations, telecommunications policy, and workforce 
3.10 	development policy containing a summary of the agency telework policies submitted 
3.11 	under section 2 and the policies developed by the department under section 3.

3.12 	Sec. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.
 3.13 	Sections 1 to 5 are effective the day following final enactment.