U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

1 

89–010 

" ! SENATE 115TH CONGRESS

2d Session 

REPORT

2018

115–418 

Calendar No. 723 

21ST CENTURY INTEGRATED DIGITAL 

EXPERIENCE ACT 

R E P O R T 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND 

GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS 

UNITED STATES SENATE 

TO ACCOMPANY

S. 3050 

TO IMPROVE EXECUTIVE AGENCY DIGITAL SERVICES, AND FOR 

OTHER PURPOSES 

DECEMBER 5, 2018.—Ordered to be printed 


E:\Seals\Congress.#13
(II) 

COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS 

RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin, Chairman 

ROB PORTMAN, Ohio 

RAND PAUL, Kentucky 

JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma 

MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming 

JOHN HOEVEN, North Dakota 

STEVE DAINES, Montana 

JON KYL, Arizona 

CLAIRE MCCASKILL, Missouri 

THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware 

HEIDI HEITKAMP, North Dakota 

GARY C. PETERS, Michigan 

MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire 

KAMALA D. HARRIS, California 

DOUG JONES, Alabama 

CHRISTOPHER R. HIXON, Staff Director 

GABRIELLE D’ADAMO SINGER, Chief Counsel 

PATRICK J. BAILEY, Chief Counsel for Governmental Affairs 

MARGARET E. DAUM, Minority Staff Director 

CHARLES A. MOSKOWITZ, Minority Senior Legislative Counsel 

KATHERINE C. SYBENGA, Minority Counsel 

LAURA W. KILBRIDE, Chief Clerk 

Calendar No. 723 

115TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 2d Session 115–418 

21ST CENTURY INTEGRATED DIGITAL EXPERIENCE ACT 

DECEMBER 5, 2018.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. JOHNSON, from the Committee on Homeland Security and 

Governmental Affairs, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 3050] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, 

to which was referred the bill (S. 3050) to improve executive agency 

digital services, and for other purposes, having considered the 

same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment (in the nature 

of a substitute) and recommends that the bill (as amended) do 

pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

I. Purpose and Summary .................................................................................. 1 

II. Background and Need for the Legislation ................................................... 1 

III. Legislative History ......................................................................................... 2 

IV. Section-by-Section Analysis .......................................................................... 3 

V. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact .................................................................. 4 

VI. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate ................................................ 5 

VII. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported ........................... 6 

I. PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

S. 3050, the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act, or, 

21st Century IDEA Act, seeks to improve government services by 

improving existing digital services and websites and requiring a 

plan and cost estimates for digitizing high priority in-person and 

paper-based services. 

II. BACKGROUND AND THE NEED FOR LEGISLATION

Federal Government agencies provide a variety of services to citizens, ranging from Social Security benefits to care for veterans. 

2 

1Off. Of Mgmt. & Budget, The President’s Management Agenda: Modernizing Government for 

the 21st Century 28 (2018), available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/ 

04/ThePresidentsManagementAgenda.pdf. 2 Jerry Markon, A decade into a project to digitize U.S. immigration forms, just 1 is online, Wash. Post (Nov. 8, 2015), available at https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/a-decade-into-aproject-to-digitize-us-immigration-forms-just-1-is-online/2015/11/08/f63360fc-830e-11e5-a7ca6ab6ec20f839_story.html?utm_term=.6f306f38a565. 3 Id. 4Modernizing Government Technology Act of 2017, as considered in H.R. 2227 and S. 990, 

was passed in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018, Pub. L. No. 115– 

91, 131 Stat. 1283 (2018). 5Off. Of Mgmt. & Budget, The President’s Management Agenda: Modernizing Government for 

the 21st Century (2018), available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/ 

ThePresidentsManagementAgenda.pdf. 6 Id. at 7. 

Some of these government services are digital or can be completed 

via online forms, while many others require an in-person or paperbased process. According to the 2016 American Consumer Satisfaction Index, government services lag an average of nine percentage 

points behind the private sector.1 A key component to improving 

government services is to enhance existing websites and digital 

services, and to digitize paper-based and in-person services where 

the benefit outweighs the costs. 

Traditionally, the Federal Government has performed poorly 

when attempting to digitize paper-based processes. For example 

the United States Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) attempted digitize scores of immigration forms at a cost of around 

$500 million, with a target completion date of 2013.2 By 2015, the 

project was nowhere near complete, had a new cost estimate of $3.1 

billion, and a target completion of 2017.3

Cloud computing and other technologies have advanced significantly since the early failures of the USCIS project. This advancement of technology, combined with the enactment of the Modernizing Government Technology Act,4 should give the Federal Government the accountability, oversight, and funding to improve customer service by improving websites and digitizing services. 

In March 2018, the Office of Management and Budget released 

the President’s Management Agenda which included plans for improving customer service through improved use of information technology.5 The agenda asks agencies to focus on four strategies to 

achieve an improved customer experience: ‘‘improving digital services; modernizing customer experiences for high-impact Federal 

programs; rewarding programs and people that demonstrate outstanding services; and creating a support and accountability network to ensure sustainable customer experience improvement 

across government.’’ 6

The 21st Century IDEA Act supports the goals of the President’s 

Management Agenda and two of the four agency strategies by requiring that, as agencies develop new digital services and websites, 

they meet certain requirements that will improve customer service. 

For existing websites and services, the bill requires agencies to 

identify and prioritize those with the greatest impact on customer 

service and report in their budget requests the cost of modernization. 

III. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

Senator Rob Portman introduced S. 3050 on June 12, 2018. The 

bill was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and GovVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:32 Dec 14, 2018 Jkt 089010 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\SR418.XXX SR418
3 

ernmental Affairs on the same day. The Committee considered S. 

3050 at a September 26, 2018, business meeting. 

The Committee ordered S. 3050, as amended by a Portman substitute amendment, reported favorably en bloc by voice vote. Senators present for the vote were Johnson, Portman, Lankford, Enzi, 

Hoeven, McCaskill, Carper, Heitkamp, Peters, Hassan, Harris, and 

Jones. 

IV. SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF THE BILL, AS REPORTED

Section 1. Short title 

This section established that the bill may be cited as the ‘‘21st 

Century Integrated Digital Experience Act’’ or ‘‘21st Century 

IDEA.’’ 

Section 2. Definitions 

This section includes definitions of the terms ‘‘Director’’ and ‘‘executive agency.’’ 

Section 3. Website modernization 

Subsection (a) outlines the requirements for an executive agency 

to follow if such agency creates or redesigns a website intended for 

public use. The executive agency must ensure the websites are accessible to individuals with disabilities, have a consistent appearance, contain search functions, provide industry standard connection, designed around user needs with a data driven analysis, allow 

users to complete digital transaction in an efficient manner and 

must be fully functional on a mobile device. The new websites must 

not overlap with any legacy websites, and legacy websites must be 

reviewed and eliminated. 

Subsection (b) describes the requirements for executive agencies 

that maintain public websites. Within one year after the enactment 

of this Act, the heads of each executive agency must review each 

website available to the public; submit a report to congress that 

lists the websites that are beneficial to the public; and prioritize 

them based on which websites require modernizations based on 

subsection (a). This report must also include the cost and schedule 

for modernization of the websites listed in subparagraph (B). 

Subsection (c) requires the head of each executive agency to ensure that any intranet established after the enactment of this Act 

follows the requirements of subsection (a). 

Subsection (d) requires the head of each executive agency to submit a report within one year after enactment of the bill, and every 

year after for four years, detailing the progress made in meeting 

the requirements section 3. 

Subsection (e) mandates that any executive agency public 

website made a year after the enactment of the bill comply with 

the website standards established by the General Services Administration. 

Section 4. Digitization of Government services and forms 

Subsection (a) requires OMB to issue guidance to the head of 

each executive agency within 180 days of the enactment. This guidance must establish a process for the executive agency to identify 

public non-digital services and include a list of non-digital services 

4 

that could be made available to the public in a digital cost effective 

format. The list must also include a cost and time estimate for 

digitizing the aforementioned non-digital services. 

Subsection (b) instructs the head of each executive agency to regularly review public applications and services to ensure that they 

are made available to the public in a digital format. 

Subsection (c) requires the head of each executive agency to ensure that any paper-based form related to serving the public is 

made available in digital format that meets the requirements of 

section 3(a) within two years after enactment. 

Subsection (d) provides instructions for the head of an executive 

agency to follow if there are government services that cannot be 

made in digital format. 

Subsection (e) requires each executive agency to maintain a nondigitized method of using digital services so that those without digital access are still able to use those services. 

Section 5. Electronic signatures 

Requires the head of each executive agency to submit a plan to 

increase the use of electronic signatures standards established 

under the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce 

Act to the Director and appropriate congressional committee within 

180 days after the date of enactment. 

Section 6. Customer experience and digital service delivery 

Lists requirements for the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of 

each executive agency. The CIO must ensure the alignment of customer service experience programs; coordinate with the management leaders of the executive agency to ensure proper funding for 

the implementation of this Act; examine the digital service delivery 

strategy and submit recommendations to the head of the executive 

agency; and use data to customer service areas that need improvement. 

Section 7. Standardization 

Subsection (a) mandates that each executive agency maintain 

standardization with other executive agencies. 

Subsection (b) instructs the CIO of each executive agency to coordinate implementation. 

Subsection (c) requires the General Services Administration to 

make the systems necessary available and put the systems in a 

Federal Supply Schedule. The Federal Supply Schedule must ensure interoperability between executive agencies, and compliance 

with industry standards and best practices. 

V. EVALUATION OF REGULATORY IMPACT

Pursuant to the requirements of paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of 

the Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee has considered 

the regulatory impact of this bill and determined that the bill will 

have no regulatory impact within the meaning of the rules. The 

Committee agrees with the Congressional Budget Office’s statement that the bill contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 

mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act 

(UMRA) and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

5 

1Government Accountability Office, VA IT Modernization: Preparations for Transitioning to 

a New Electronic Health Record System Are Ongoing, GAO–18–636T (June 26, 2018), 

www.gao.gov/Products/GAO-18-636T, and Information Technology: Management Attention Is 

Needed to Successfully Modernize Tax Processing Systems, GAO–18–153T (October 4, 2017), 

www.gao.gov/products/GAO-18-153T. 

VI. CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

U.S. CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, November 29, 2018. 

Hon. RON JOHNSON, 

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 3050, the 21st Century 

IDEA. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew Pickford. 

Sincerely, 

KEITH HALL, 

Director. 

Enclosure. 

S. 3050—21st Century IDEA 

S. 3050 would require agencies to update their websites, increase 

the use of electronic forms, implement the use of e-signatures, 

standardize information technology (IT) throughout the federal government, and improve the overall government IT experience for 

users. 

Reports on www.digital.gov indicate that the U.S. government 

has about 6,000 websites and over 400 domains. The Administration estimates that the federal government has over 23,000 forms— 

some on paper and some in various stages of digital form. The federal government spends about $95 billion annually on IT services, 

and according to the Budget of the U.S. Government, Fiscal Year 

2019: Analytical Perspectives: ‘‘federal agencies have a poor track 

record of appropriately planning and budgeting for continuous modernization of their legacy IT systems. Further, transition to other 

services such as cloud and shared services remains slow.’’ Recent 

Administrations have made improvements to IT a management priority, and those efforts continue. 

S. 3050 does not specifically authorize an appropriation of funds 

for agencies to achieve the goals of the legislation. Many of the provisions would generally codify current policies and practices. From 

CBO’s review of the current federal digital environment, it is not 

clear that agencies would take any extra steps to implement S. 

3050 beyond those measures already under way or planned. 

Several Government Accountability Office reports have indicated 

that many agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs 

and the Internal Revenue Service, have invested billions of dollars 

in IT programs that have had significant cost overruns and many 

operational problems.1 In CBO’s view, implementing S. 3050 would 

not lead to additional costs beyond those already expected. If agencies did respond to the legislation with greater efforts to expand 

electronic forms and signatures and generally enhance IT services, 

6 

those efforts would probably involve discretionary costs of at least 

$100 million over the next five years. An expenditure of that scale 

evenly distributed across 20 major federal department and agencies 

would average $1 million per year for five years for each department or agency. 

Enacting S. 3050 could affect direct spending by some agencies 

(the Tennessee Valley Authority, for example) that are authorized 

to use fees, receipts from the sale of goods, and other collections to 

cover their operating costs; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures 

apply. Because most such agencies can adjust the amounts they 

collect, however, CBO estimates that any net changes in direct 

spending would not be significant. Enacting the bill would not affect revenues. 

CBO estimates that enacting S. 3050 would not significantly increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four 

consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029. 

S. 3050 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. 

On November 28, 2018, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 

5759, the 21st Century IDEA as ordered reported by the House 

Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on September 27, 

2018. The two bills are similar and CBO’s estimates of the budgetary effects are the same. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew Pickford. The 

estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Assistant 

Director for Budget Analysis. 

VII. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

Because this legislation would not repeal or amend any provision 

of current law, it would make no changes in existing law within the 

meaning of clauses (a) and (b) of paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the 

Standing Rules of the Senate. 

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