Telework Reform Act of 2025
Telework Reform Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Telework Reform Act of 2025 Summary **What the Bill Does:** The Telework Reform Act of 2025 would establish stricter rules for how federal government agencies manage remote work arrangements. The bill requires agencies to limit telework agreements to one-year terms with annual reviews, implement systems to verify employees are working from approved locations, and clarify when telework can be restricted due to performance or disciplinary issues. It also creates a new hiring pathway allowing federal agencies to hire veterans, military spouses, and spouses of law enforcement officers directly into remote work positions without the standard competitive hiring process. **Who It Affects:** The bill primarily impacts federal employees and job applicants.
Current federal teleworkers would face shorter, renewable agreements and increased monitoring. Veterans, military spouses, and spouses of law enforcement officers would gain new opportunities for federal employment in remote positions. The hiring authority for spouses of law enforcement officers would be temporary, lasting seven years as a pilot program. **Current Status:** The bill (S 82) was introduced by Republican Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma in the 119th Congress and is currently in committee, meaning it has not yet been debated or voted on by the full Senate.
CRS Official Summary
Telework Reform Act of 2025This bill establishes additional terms and conditions for executive agency telework policies. It also authorizes agencies to noncompetitively hire qualified covered veterans, military spouses, and spouses of law enforcement officers for remote telework (i.e., full-time telework from an approved alternative worksite). The bill provides, among other requirements, that agencieslimit telework agreements to a period of one year,review telework agreements at least annually,ensure that telework policies address the extent to which telework may be restricted based on performance or disciplinary action, and establish systems to confirm that employees are working solely at approved worksites.The bill also authorizes agencies to noncompetitively appoint veterans, military spouses, and spouses of law enforcement officers with appropriate qualifications to remote telework positions. The authority for hiring spouses of law enforcement officers is a seven-year pilot program. Further, the bill requires the (1) Office of Management and Budget to issue guidelines to protect the security of information and systems used while teleworking, and (2) the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study comparing the processing time for constituent services provided by agencies as of the study's date with the average processing times in 2019.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.