§5–1702.

    (a)    There is a Business Telework Assistance Grant Program in the Department.

    (b)    The purpose of the Program is to assist and support businesses in implementing telework policies for their employees.

    (c)    A grant awarded under the Program may be used to purchase hardware, software, or any other technical equipment or technical services necessary for a business to implement a telework policy.

    (d)    (1)    To qualify for a grant under the Program, a business must develop a telework policy that conforms to the best practices established by the Office of Telework Assistance under Title 3, Subtitle 6 of this article.

        (2)    Within 1 year after receiving a grant under the Program, a business shall submit a letter to the Department that:

            (i)    describes how the grant funding was used;

            (ii)    includes the telework policy that was implemented using the grant funding; and

            (iii)    includes any invoices related to the implementation of the telework policy.

    (e)    (1)    In awarding a grant, the Department shall:

            (i)    prioritize awarding grants to small businesses; and

            (ii)    consider:

                1.    the number of employees in the business; and

                2.    the assistance needed for the business to implement a telework policy.

        (2)    The Department may require a grant recipient that fails to fulfill the requirements of the grant to return all or part of the grant to the Program.

    (f)    For each fiscal year, the Governor shall include in the annual budget bill an appropriation of $1,000,000 for the Program.

    (g)    The Secretary shall adopt regulations necessary to carry out this section.