Peace Garden News

BISMARCK – U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the Stopping Home Office Work’s Unproductive Problems (SHOW UP) Act, which would require all executive agencies to return to their pre-pandemic remote work policies. It would also direct the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to certify any expanded telework policies will positively affect the agency’s mission, productivity, and operational costs prior to implementation.

“Executive agencies have used the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse for laziness for too long. Our public servants should be doing just that – serving the public,” said Senator Cramer. “Our bill ensures they come back to the office to do the work American taxpayers expect from them.”

Specifically, the SHOW UP Act:

• Requires federal agencies to return to 2019 (December 31, 2019 benchmark) telework levels within 30 days
• Requires federal agencies to complete and submit studies to Congress within six months detailing how pandemic-era telework levels impacted their missions—including adverse effects on customer service, network security, and costs for real property and locality pay
• Prevents federal agencies from permanently expanding telework without submitting to Congress telework plans certified by the OPM on how they will:
  • Substantially improve agency mission-performance;
  • Substantially lower agency costs for real property and locality pay;
  • Ensure security for agency networks, data and records;
  • Accelerate the dispersal of federal jobs nationwide.

Joining Senators Cramer and Blackburn are Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Mike Braun (R-IN), and Steve Daines (R-MT).

Click here for bill text. The companion legislation passed the House of Representatives on February 1, 2023 by a vote of 221-206.

Original source can be found here.