Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

S.B. 15 First Substitute (2021GS)

Sponsor

Sen. McCay, D.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/16/2021

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• defines terms;
• requires DHRM to:
• cooperate with state agencies to provide and measure teleworking options for state employees during bad air quality days and other certain days; and
• provide an annual written report regarding teleworking by state employees during bad air quality days and other certain days; and
• requires the Governor's Office of Management and Budget to notify state agencies of mandatory action days for air quality and special circumstance days to encourage teleworking by eligible employees.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS FOR AIR QUALITY
AMENDMENTS
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Daniel McCay
House Sponsor: 
Mike Winder
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill enacts reporting and other requirements for the Department of Human
Resource Management (DHRM) related to teleworking by state employees.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ defines terms;
▸ requires DHRM to:
• cooperate with state agencies to provide and measure teleworking options for
state employees during bad air quality days and other certain days; and
• provide an annual written report regarding teleworking by state employees
during bad air quality days and other certain days; and
▸ requires the Governor's Office of Management and Budget to notify state agencies
of mandatory action days for air quality and special circumstance days to encourage
teleworking by eligible employees.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
ENACTS:
67-19-46
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
67-19-46
 is enacted to read:
 67-19-46.
Teleworking progress report.
(1) As used in this section:
(a) "Mandatory action day" means a day where notice has been issued at least 48 hours
in advance by the director of the Division of Air Quality that the concentration of air pollutants
measured in a county are predicted to reach or exceed levels of air pollution that are unhealthy
for sensitive groups.
(b) "Special circumstance day" means a day where predicted heavy snowfall or other
situations pose a risk to employee safety or employee health as determined by the Governor's
Office of Management and Budget or a designee of the Governor's Office of Management and
Budget.
(c) "Surge telework eligible" means all employment positions identified as telework
eligible and employment positions identified as able to telework temporarily for mandatory
action days or special circumstance days.
(d) "Surge teleworking" means an employee who temporarily teleworks on a
mandatory action day or a special circumstance day.
(e) "Telework" or "Teleworking" means an employee working from home, or from an
approved worksite other than the location from which the employee would otherwise work,
through the use of a computer, the Internet, a telephone, or other technology to complete
work-related duties and maintain contact with colleagues, clients, or a central office as needed.
(2) (a) The department shall assist each state agency with identifying positions that are
surge telework eligible.
(b) The department may identify and distribute to each state agency strategies and best
practices to increase the use of teleworking by the agency's employees during mandatory action
days and special circumstance days.
(3) The Governor's Office of Management and Budget or a designee of the Governor's
Office of Management and Budget shall inform each state agency in a timely manner of
mandatory action days and special circumstance days.
(4) On or before October 1 of each year, the department shall provide a written report
to the Economic Development and Workforce Services Interim Committee describing:
(a) the number of employees and the percentage of employees from each agency that
are identified as telework eligible and surge telework eligible;
(b) except for the initial written report on or before October 1, 2021, the number of
employees and the percentage of employees from each agency that have teleworked during
mandatory action days and special circumstance days during the previous fiscal year;
(c) for each agency that has not met the target goal of 90% of surge telework eligible
employees teleworking on mandatory action days or special circumstance days, impediments to
achieving the target goals and recommended strategies to achieve the target goals in the future;
and
(d) for each agency, recommendations for any actions by the Legislature to increase the
number and percentage of surge telework eligible employees.