II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 848 

To establish digital services in State and local governments, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 14, 2019 

Ms. HARRIS introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

A BILL 

To establish digital services in State and local governments, 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Digital Service Act 

5 of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act— 

8 (1) the term ‘‘Administrator’’ means the Ad9 ministrator of the United States Digital Service; 


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1 (2) the term ‘‘digital service grant’’ means a 

2 grant under section 3(a); 

3 (3) the term ‘‘digital service team’’ means a 

4 team of technologists, designers, civil servants, and 

5 other relevant experts dedicated to modernizing the 

6 delivery of government services to the public through 

7 information technology; 

8 (4) the term ‘‘eligible applicant’’ means a State, 

9 Indian Tribe, or unit of local government that has 

10 received not more than 1 digital service grant; 

11 (5) the term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ has the meaning 

12 given the term ‘‘Indian tribe’’ in section 4(e) of the 

13 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 

14 Act (25 U.S.C. 5304(e)); 

15 (6) the term ‘‘State’’ has the meaning given 

16 that term in section 901 of title I of the Omnibus 

17 Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 

18 U.S.C. 10251); and 

19 (7) the term ‘‘unit of local government’’ means 

20 a city, county, township, town, borough, parish, vil21 lage, or other general purpose political subdivision of 

22 a State. 


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1 SEC. 3. DIGITAL SERVICE GRANTS. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator may make a 

3 grant to an eligible applicant to establish or support a dig4 ital service team. 

5 (b) APPLICATION.—An eligible applicant desiring a 

6 digital service grant shall submit an application at such 

7 time, in such manner, and containing such information as 

8 the Administrator may specify. 

9 (c) INITIAL GRANT PREFERENCE.—Among eligible 

10 applicants that have not previously received a digital serv11 ice grant, the Administrator shall give preference to an 

12 eligible applicant if— 

13 (1) the chief executive officer of the eligible en14 tity has publicly demonstrated a commitment to 

15 modernizing government technology and service de16 livery; 

17 (2) the eligible entity has officially designated 

18 an officer of the eligible entity to have responsibility 

19 for functions relating to the digital services of the el20 igible entity, such as a Chief Technology Officer, 

21 Chief Innovation Officer, or Chief Digital Services 

22 Officer, and such functions are recognized as dis23 tinct from management and operations of traditional 

24 information technology; or 

25 (3) the eligible entity demonstrates a rigorous 

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1 ices in such manner as the Administrator determines 

2 appropriate. 

3 (d) CONTINUING GRANTS.—The Administrator may 

4 make not more than 1 additional digital service grant to 

5 an eligible applicant that has previously received a digital 

6 service grant if the eligible applicant— 

7 (1) has a demonstrated record of successful dig8 ital delivery of government services, including 

9 through the use of the first digital service grant; and 

10 (2) articulates clearly the government service 

11 delivery projects the eligible applicant would carry 

12 out with the grant. 

13 (e) GRANT PERIOD.—The Administrator shall award 

14 digital service grants for a period of 2 years. 

15 (f) CONTINUITY OF FUNDING.—To the maximum ex16 tent practicable, the Administrator shall award digital 

17 service grants described in subsection (d) in a manner that 

18 ensures that there is not a break in funding between the 

19 initial digital service grant and the grant described in sub20 section (d). 

21 (g) GRANT AMOUNT.—The annual amount of a dig22 ital service grant shall be equal to the lesser of— 

23 (1) in dollars, the amount equal to the sum 

24 of— 


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1 (A) the population served by the eligible 

2 applicant; and 

3 (B) 200,000; or 

4 (2) $2,500,000. 

5 (h) USE OF FUNDS.—Not less than 50 percent of the 

6 amount received under a digital service grant shall be used 

7 for salary and benefits of the members of the digital serv8 ice team. 

9 (i) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—The Federal share of 

10 an activity carried out using a digital service grant shall 

11 be not more than 80 percent. 

12 SEC. 4. REPORTING. 

13 (a) BY RECIPIENTS.—Not later than the end of the 

14 period of a digital service grant, the recipient of the digital 

15 service grant shall submit to the Administrator and make 

16 publicly available on the website of the recipient a brief 

17 report describing— 

18 (1) the skills and areas of expertise of the mem19 bers of the digital service team established or sup20 ported using amounts made available under the 

21 grant; 

22 (2) projects undertaken using amounts made 

23 available under the grant, including a discussion of 

24 the impact of those projects; 


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1 (3) lessons learned from implementing the 

2 projects described in paragraph (2); 

3 (4) the information technology projects the re4 cipient intends to implement next; and 

5 (5) any other information determined appro6 priate by the Administrator. 

7 (b) TO CONGRESS AND PUBLIC.—Not later than Sep8 tember 30, 2022, and every 2 years thereafter, the Admin9 istrator shall submit to Congress and make publicly avail10 able on the website of the United States Digital Service 

11 a report that summarizes— 

12 (1) the digital service grants applied for and 

13 made; and 

14 (2) the uses and impacts of digital service 

15 grants, based on the reports received under sub16 section (a). 

17 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

18 (a) AMOUNTS TO CARRY OUT THIS ACT.—There are 

19 authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to 

20 carry out this Act $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 

21 2020 through 2027. 

22 (b) AMOUNTS TO CARRY OUT THE MISSION OF THE

23 USDS.—In addition to the amounts authorized to be ap24 propriated under subsection (a), there are authorized to 

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1 sion of the United States Digital Service $50,000,000 for 

2 each of fiscal years 2020 through 2027. 

3 (c) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts made available pursu4 ant to subsections (a) and (b) shall remain available until 

5 expended. 

Æ 


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