Sec. 2. Findings
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Congress finds the following: The Federal Government spends billions of dollars per year on travel to conferences, training programs, business meetings, court and administrative hearings, and other related activities. On November 9, 2011, President Barack Obama issued Executive Order 13589 (76 Fed. Reg. 70863; relating to promoting efficient spending). Section 2 of such Executive order directs the head of each executive department or agency to establish a plan for fiscal year 2013 to reduce the combined expenses associated with a variety of activities, including travel, by not less than 20 percent below fiscal year 2010 levels.
Section 3 of Executive Order 13589 addresses travel spending and provides, in part, for the use of video conferencing. In May 2012, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget instructed the heads of executive departments and agencies to reduce their travel budgets in fiscal year 2013 to 30 percent below fiscal year 2010 levels. While the Administration has made efforts to utilize video conferencing and reduce travel expenses, such practices are still a largely untapped means of saving taxpayer dollars.
The Telework Enhancement Act of 2010 ( Public Law 111–292 ) requires the head of each executive agency to establish a policy under which eligible employees of such agency may be authorized to telework. The video conferencing industry has shifted from a hardware-based model to a browser-based model, leading to reduced expenses and increased efficiency in a system that is able to meet the needs in daily commerce for full-featured conferencing using off-the-shelf equipment present in most every Government office, business, and home.
Video conferencing can be used by Federal employees instead of or in addition to telephones and email to enhance communication and problem solving, to reduce associated carbon footprints, to facilitate staff training and interagency meetings, and to increase employee productivity, thereby helping shorten project timelines, promote efficiency, improve collaboration among coworkers across the country, and improve work-life balance.
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- 76 FR 70863
- Pub. L. 111-292
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