Assemblymember Alex Lee (D‑San Jose) is trying to make state telework more than a pandemic fling. This week, he introduced AB 1729, a bill meant to protect and expand telework options for eligible state employees. The proposal would force departments to adopt formal telework plans and to put in writing any claim that staff absolutely have to be in the office. Supporters cast it as both a worker‑rights move and a budget strategy, aiming to lock in remote‑work options while forcing agencies to spell out the price tag of hauling everyone back to their desks.
As reported by The Sacramento Bee, Lee filed the bill on Feb. 5 and added an urgency clause so it would take effect immediately if the governor signs it. The Bee also notes the measure was championed by the Professional Engineers in California Government, which previously secured a one‑year delay to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2025 four‑day return‑to‑office mandate.
What’s in the bill
AB 1729 would update state law by swapping the term “telecommuting” for the more current “telework,” and it would task the Department of General Services with creating a public telework dashboard to track savings, reduced vehicle miles and emissions. The bill also requires every state agency to develop and implement a telework plan, review its program at least every 10 years, and provide a detailed written justification any time it insists that in‑person work is necessary. Those requirements are laid out in the bill text on LegiScan.
Where the savings claim comes from
The proposal leans on a recent audit that estimated the state could cut roughly 30 percent of its office footprint and save as much as $225 million a year if employees teleworked three or more days per week, according to the California State Auditor. Union supporters argue those savings matter for a state under budget pressure and say telework also helps with recruitment and emissions reductions, a case the Professional Engineers in California Government has been making in its own messaging. That broader telework audit fight was covered last year, along with pushback from the administration.
Administration pushback
The Newsom administration has questioned the auditor’s estimate and pushed back on sweeping telework reforms, arguing parts of the report rely on hypothetical assumptions rather than hard data. The governor’s office has said it “respectfully disagrees” with portions of the findings, according to reporting by KCRA…