Wicker bill directs federal agency heads to resume in-person operations

A bipartisan bill sponsored on Feb. 16 by U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) would direct the heads of each federal agency to develop a comprehensive plan to resume in-person operations.

“Businesses have now reopened, children and teachers have returned to in-person learning, and health care and public safety workers continue to show up for work. Yet I continue to hear from constituents about a lack of responsiveness from federal agencies,” Sen. Wicker said. 

“It is now far past time to bring back our federal workers and deliver the service that the American people have been promised and expect of their government,” he added.

Sen. Wicker introduced the Return Employees To Understaffed Worksites to Reopen Now (RETURN) Act of 2022, S. 3672, with lead original cosponsor U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), which would codify and expand upon a Biden administration order for agencies to submit return-to-work plans, and recognize the need to make plans for future disruptions to federal services caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.

Among several provisions, S. 3672 would permit federal employees to work remotely if agency policy permits; would require agencies to establish a backup plan if there’s an increase in COVID-19 transmission that would require employees to work remotely; and would require them to submit plans to prepare for an event in which remote work would become necessary, the summary says.

Additionally, S. 3672 would require agencies to develop employee guidelines for handling sensitive or private information and to implement performance metrics to identify employees failing to fulfill duties.

The bill also would require federal agencies to report on how much physical workspace is needed and to recommend if leases should be terminated for underused spaces, according to the summary.

The bill has been referred for consideration to the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.