Washington — A bill scheduled to be considered today by the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee could provide major relief to colleges and others that provide their employees with cellphones and handheld devices like Blackberries.

Institutions that offer their workers such devices are now required to maintain extensive records about their business use. Under current law, any personal use represents taxable income to the employee.

A bill introduced in February, HR 5450, would eliminate those restrictions, allowing colleges and other employers to provide their workers with cellphones, Treos, or Blackberries without maintaining detailed use records or generating taxable income to the employees.

The National Association of College and University Business Officers strongly supports the legislation. On Monday, John D. Walda, its president, sent a letter in support of it to Rep. Sam Johnson, one of the bill’s authors. —Brad Wolverton