[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 1] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 1132-1133] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]SMALL BUSINESS TELEWORK PROMOTION ACT ______ HON. MARK UDALL of colorado in the house of representatives Tuesday, January 29, 2008 Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Madam Speaker, today I am introducing the ``Small Business Telework Promotion Act'' to assist our Nation's small businesses in establishing successful telework programs for their employees. Across America, numerous employers are responding to the needs of their employees and establishing telework programs. In 2000, there were an estimated 16.5 million teleworkers. By the end of 2004, there were an estimated 30 million teleworkers, representing an increase of almost 100 percent in 4 short years. 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 evolving technology to establish successful telework programs, some small businesses are losing out on a host of benefits that will save them money, and make them more competitive. Successful telework programs can help small business owners to retain 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 percent of home-only teleworkers commute to work on days they are not teleworking. Telework can also give employees more time to spend with their families, and reduce stress levels by eliminating the pressure of a long commute. The bill establishes a program in the Small Business Administration, SBA, to raise awareness about telework among small business employers and to encourage those small businesses to establish telework programs for their employees. Additionally, an important provision in the bill directs the SBA Administrator to undertake [[Page 1133]] special efforts for businesses owned by, or employing, persons with disabilities and disabled America veterans. At the end of the day, telework 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. Several hurdles to establishing successful telework programs could be cleared by enacting our legislation. The 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 and expand their own telework policies. Here is a brief outline of the bill's provisions-- Section One--provides a short title, namely ``The Small Business Telework Promotion Act''. Section Two--sets forth findings regarding the potential benefits of increasing the extent to which employees have the option of teleworking. Section Three--directs the Small Business Administration (SBA) to carry out a program to raise awareness of telework among small businesses and to encourage them to offer telework options to their employees. This program is to include special outreach to businesses owned by or employing people with disabilities, including disabled veterans. ____________________