Improving Government Services Act

Bill: 118-s-2866
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]
Introduced: 2023-09-20
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Congressional oversight

Government information and archives

Performance measurement
Latest action: action_date: 2024-09-10
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 496.

Summaries:

tv_txt: II Calendar No. 496 118th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2866 [Report No. 118–217] IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 20, 2023 Mr. Peters (for himself, Mr. Lankford , Mr. Cornyn , and Mr. Wyden ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs September 10, 2024 Reported by Mr. Peters , with an amendment Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic A BILL To improve the customer experience of the Federal Government, ensure that Federal services are simple, seamless, and secure, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Improving Government Services Act . 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Agency The term agency has the meaning given the term Executive agency in section 105 of title 5, United States Code. (2) Customer The term customer means any individual, business, or organization, including a grantee and a State, local, or Tribal entity, that interacts with an agency or program, either directly or through a federally funded program administered by a contractor, nonprofit organization, or other Federal entity. (3) Customer experience The term customer experience means, with respect to a member of the public, the general perception of and the overall satisfaction with interactions with an agency or a product or service of the agency. (4) CX Action Plan The term CX Action Plan means the annual customer experience action plan described in section 3. (5) Designated entity The term designated entity means an agency or high-impact service provider designated by the Director under section 3(a). (6) Director The term Director means the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. (7) High-impact service provider The term high-impact service provider means a Federal entity, as designated by the Director, that provides or funds customer-facing services, including Federal services administered at the State or local level, that have a high impact on the public, whether because of a large customer base or a critical effect on those served. (8) Human-centered design The term human-centered design means an interdisciplinary methodology of putting individuals, including those who will use or be impacted by a product or service, at the center of any process to solve challenging problems. (9) Service delivery The term service delivery means any actions by the Federal Government relating to the provision of a benefit or service to a customer of an agency during each stage of the process of delivering the benefit or service to the customer, including— (A) an application, renewal, or extension by a customer for a benefit or loan, including health services for veterans and a small business loan; (B) receipt by a customer of a service, including— (i) health care or small business counseling; and (ii) guidance to support commerce, transportation, employment rules, workplace safety, or public safety, including relating to ensuring clean water and consumer protection services; (C) a request or renewal by a customer for a document or other item, including a passport, driver's license, or Social Security card; (D) a submission by a customer of a Federal tax return; (E) a declaration of goods by a customer; (F) use by a customer of recreation resources and public spaces, including a park, historical site, or museum; (G) a request by a customer for information, including a notice, warning, or guidance about public health, safety, consumer protection, commerce, transportation, environment, employment, and workplace safety; and (H) a request by a customer for, or use by a customer of, data and research, including for applying for funding, conducting research, maintaining and preserving artifacts, and collecting, analyzing, reporting, and sharing data. (10) Voluntary customer feedback The term voluntary customer feedback means the submission by a customer of information, an opinion, appreciation, or a concern following an interaction with an agency and relating to the interaction with the agency that is— (A) solicited by the agency and identified as voluntary at the time of solicitation; and (B) is voluntarily made by the customer. 3. Comprehensive customer experience action plan (a) In general (1) Designation Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall designate agencies and high-impact service providers to develop an annual customer experience action plan. (2) Submission of CX Action Plans Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, at a time determined by the Director, the head of each designated entity shall submit to the Director and to Congress and make publicly available the CX Action Plan of the designated entity. (b) CX Action Plan contents The CX Action Plan of a designated entity shall include— (1) a comprehensive customer experience strategy and corresponding implementation actions that adopt leading human-centered design practices that include— (A) conducting outreach to the public about the public services provided by the designated entity; (B) providing assistance to members of the public enrolling in or navigating the services of the designated entity; (C) streamlining and improving the accessibility of forms and digital experiences and ensuring the accessibility of services for customers with disabilities or limited English proficiency; (D) eliminating unnecessary administrative burdens on customers; (E) engaging in efforts to coordinate with other agencies to reduce the need for customers served by the designated entity to interact separately with multiple agencies; (F) preventing fraud and improving fraud and spam reporting capabilities; and (G) incorporating best practices from the private sector, including providing online services, telephone call-back services, and training to employees who provide customer service; (2) information on the average amount of time it takes the designated entity to resolve a customer request and an identification and assessment of any backlog issues for key designated entity services, including the resolution of requests for passport services, veteran records, determinations of Social Security benefits, the processing of applications for Federal retirement benefits, and other similar services; (3) an assessment of opportunities for the designated entity to— (A) co-locate the services of the designated entity with other Federal services, where appropriate and in response to demonstrated customer needs; (B) increase the use of digital channels and self-service options, while ensuring efficient multi-channel offerings, in accordance with the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act ( 44 U.S.C. 3501 note); and (C) increase the quantity and improve the quality of protections for personally identifiable information in customer data; (4) actions to build the capacity of the designated entity to deliver leading services and manage customer experience, including updating guidance and training materials for employees of the designated entity; (5) specific proposals to improve customer experience and service delivery, including— (A) progress on the delivery of the CX Action Plan of the fiscal year in which the CX Action plan is submitted against the commitments of the CX Action Plan of the prior fiscal year, including the performance of priority services (including wait and processing times, customer feedback, and the information described in paragraph (3)); and (B) plans for the fiscal year following the submission of the CX Action Plan; and (6) the medium- and long-term customer experience strategies of the designated entity, including— (A) plans for the period of 3 to 5 fiscal years following the fiscal year of the submission of the CX Action Plan; and (B) plans for the period of 5 to 10 fiscal years following the fiscal year of the submission of the CX Action Plan. (c) Existing guidance In developing the CX Action Plan, each designated entity shall adhere to existing and additional guidance provided by the Director. 4. Oversight and annual report (a) In general The Director shall— (1) ensure designated entity compliance with this Act; (2) facilitate sharing of leading practices between designated entities; and (3) review the comprehensive CX Action Plans of designated entities for consistency with existing customer experience guidance. (b) Annual report Not later than 180 days after the submission of all CX Action Plans under section 3(a), and annually thereafter, the Director shall make public recommendations for opportunities to streamline or co-locate critical Federal services.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Improving Government Services Act . 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Agency The term agency has the meaning given the term Executive agency in section 105 of title 5, United States Code. (2) Customer The term customer means any individual, business, or organization, including a grantee and a State, local, or Tribal entity, that interacts with an agency or program, either directly or through a federally funded program administered by a contractor, nonprofit organization, or other Federal entity. (3) Customer experience The term customer experience means, with respect to a member of the public, the general perception of and the overall satisfaction with interactions with an agency or a product or service of the agency. (4) CX Action Plan The term CX Action Plan means the annual customer experience action plan described in section 3. (5) Designated entity The term designated entity means an agency or high-impact service provider designated by the Director under section 3(a)(1). (6) Director The term Director means the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. (7) High-impact service provider The term high-impact service provider means a Federal entity, as designated by the Director, that provides or funds customer-facing services, including Federal services administered at the State or local level, that have a high impact on the public, whether because of a large customer base or a critical effect on those served. (8) Human-centered design The term human-centered design means an interdisciplinary methodology of putting individuals, including those who will use or be impacted by a product or service, at the center of any process to solve challenging problems. (9) Service delivery The term service delivery means any actions by the Federal Government relating to the provision of a benefit or service to a customer of an agency during each stage of the process of delivering the benefit or service to the customer, including— (A) an application, renewal, or extension by a customer for a benefit or loan, including health services for veterans and a small business loan; (B) receipt by a customer of a service, including— (i) health care or small business counseling; and (ii) guidance to support commerce, transportation, employment rules, workplace safety, or public safety, including relating to ensuring clean water and consumer protection services; (C) a request or renewal by a customer for a document or other item, including a passport, driver's license, or Social Security card; (D) a submission by a customer of a Federal tax return; (E) a declaration of goods by a customer; (F) use by a customer of recreation resources and public spaces, including a park, historical site, or museum; (G) a request by a customer for information, including a notice, warning, or guidance about public health, safety, consumer protection, commerce, transportation, environment, employment, and workplace safety; and (H) a request by a customer for, or use by a customer of, data and research, including for applying for funding, conducting research, maintaining and preserving artifacts, and collecting, analyzing, reporting, and sharing data. (10) Voluntary customer feedback The term voluntary customer feedback means the submission by a customer of information, an opinion, appreciation, or a concern following an interaction with an agency and relating to the interaction with the agency that is— (A) solicited by the agency and identified as voluntary at the time of solicitation; and (B) is voluntarily made by the customer. 3. Comprehensive customer experience action plan (a) In general (1) Designation Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall designate agencies and high-impact service providers to develop an annual customer experience action plan. (2) Submission of CX Action Plans Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, at a time determined by the Director, the head of each designated entity shall submit to the Director and to Congress and make publicly available the CX Action Plan of the designated entity. (b) CX Action Plan contents The CX Action Plan of a designated entity shall include— (1) a comprehensive customer experience strategy and corresponding implementation actions that adopt leading human-centered design practices that include— (A) conducting outreach to the public about the public services provided by the designated entity; (B) providing assistance to members of the public enrolling in or navigating the services of the designated entity; (C) streamlining and improving the accessibility of forms and digital experiences and ensuring the accessibility of services for customers with disabilities or limited English proficiency; (D) eliminating unnecessary administrative burdens on customers; (E) engaging in efforts to coordinate with other agencies to reduce the need for customers served by the designated entity to interact separately with multiple agencies; (F) preventing fraud and improving fraud and spam reporting capabilities; (G) providing affirmative notice to customers at the time of any interaction with a computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users, including through emails, phone calls, and chatbots; and (H) incorporating best practices from the private sector, including providing online services, telephone call-back services, and training to employees who provide customer service; (2) information on the average amount of time it takes the designated entity to resolve a customer request and an identification and assessment of any backlog issues for key designated entity services, including the resolution of requests for passport services, veteran records, determinations of Social Security benefits, the processing of applications for Federal retirement benefits, and other similar services, as well as information on how the results of these customer service metrics compare to the results in previous years; (3) an assessment of opportunities for the designated entity to— (A) co-locate the services of the designated entity with other Federal services, where appropriate and in response to demonstrated customer needs; (B) increase the use of digital channels and self-service options, while ensuring efficient multi-channel offerings, in accordance with the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act ( 44 U.S.C. 3501 note); and (C) increase the quantity and improve the quality of protections for personally identifiable information in customer data; (4) actions to build the capacity of the designated entity to deliver leading services and manage customer experience, including updating guidance and training materials for employees of the designated entity; (5) specific proposals to improve customer experience and service delivery, including— (A) progress on the delivery of the CX Action Plan of the fiscal year in which the CX Action plan is submitted against the commitments of the CX Action Plan of the prior fiscal year, including the performance of priority services (including wait and processing times, customer feedback, and the information described in paragraph (3)); and (B) plans for the fiscal year following the submission of the CX Action Plan; and (6) the medium-term and long-term customer experience strategies of the designated entity, including— (A) plans for the period of 3 to 5 fiscal years following the fiscal year of the submission of the CX Action Plan; and (B) plans for the period of 5 to 10 fiscal years following the fiscal year of the submission of the CX Action Plan. (c) Existing guidance In developing the CX Action Plan, each designated entity shall adhere to existing and additional guidance provided by the Director. 4. Oversight and annual report (a) In general The Director shall— (1) ensure the compliance of designated entities with this Act; (2) facilitate sharing of leading practices between designated entities; and (3) review the comprehensive CX Action Plans of designated entities for consistency with existing customer experience guidance. (b) Annual report Not later than 180 days after the submission of all CX Action Plans under section 3(a)(2), and annually thereafter, the Director shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Oversight and Accountability of the House of Representatives and make public recommendations for opportunities to streamline or co-locate critical Federal services.

September 10, 2024 Reported with an amendment

tv_txt: II 118th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2866 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 20, 2023 Mr. Peters (for himself, Mr. Lankford , and Mr. Cornyn ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs A BILL To improve the customer experience of the Federal Government, ensure that Federal services are simple, seamless, and secure, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Improving Government Services Act . 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Agency The term agency has the meaning given the term Executive agency in section 105 of title 5, United States Code. (2) Customer The term customer means any individual, business, or organization, including a grantee and a State, local, or Tribal entity, that interacts with an agency or program, either directly or through a federally funded program administered by a contractor, nonprofit organization, or other Federal entity. (3) Customer experience The term customer experience means, with respect to a member of the public, the general perception of and the overall satisfaction with interactions with an agency or a product or service of the agency. (4) CX Action Plan The term CX Action Plan means the annual customer experience action plan described in section 3. (5) Designated entity The term designated entity means an agency or high-impact service provider designated by the Director under section 3(a). (6) Director The term Director means the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. (7) High-impact service provider The term high-impact service provider means a Federal entity, as designated by the Director, that provides or funds customer-facing services, including Federal services administered at the State or local level, that have a high impact on the public, whether because of a large customer base or a critical effect on those served. (8) Human-centered design The term human-centered design means an interdisciplinary methodology of putting individuals, including those who will use or be impacted by a product or service, at the center of any process to solve challenging problems. (9) Service delivery The term service delivery means any actions by the Federal Government relating to the provision of a benefit or service to a customer of an agency during each stage of the process of delivering the benefit or service to the customer, including— (A) an application, renewal, or extension by a customer for a benefit or loan, including health services for veterans and a small business loan; (B) receipt by a customer of a service, including— (i) health care or small business counseling; and (ii) guidance to support commerce, transportation, employment rules, workplace safety, or public safety, including relating to ensuring clean water and consumer protection services; (C) a request or renewal by a customer for a document or other item, including a passport, driver's license, or Social Security card; (D) a submission by a customer of a Federal tax return; (E) a declaration of goods by a customer; (F) use by a customer of recreation resources and public spaces, including a park, historical site, or museum; (G) a request by a customer for information, including a notice, warning, or guidance about public health, safety, consumer protection, commerce, transportation, environment, employment, and workplace safety; and (H) a request by a customer for, or use by a customer of, data and research, including for applying for funding, conducting research, maintaining and preserving artifacts, and collecting, analyzing, reporting, and sharing data. (10) Voluntary customer feedback The term voluntary customer feedback means the submission by a customer of information, an opinion, appreciation, or a concern following an interaction with an agency and relating to the interaction with the agency that is— (A) solicited by the agency and identified as voluntary at the time of solicitation; and (B) is voluntarily made by the customer. 3. Comprehensive customer experience action plan (a) In general (1) Designation Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall designate agencies and high-impact service providers to develop an annual customer experience action plan. (2) Submission of CX Action Plans Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, at a time determined by the Director, the head of each designated entity shall submit to the Director and to Congress and make publicly available the CX Action Plan of the designated entity. (b) CX Action Plan contents The CX Action Plan of a designated entity shall include— (1) a comprehensive customer experience strategy and corresponding implementation actions that adopt leading human-centered design practices that include— (A) conducting outreach to the public about the public services provided by the designated entity; (B) providing assistance to members of the public enrolling in or navigating the services of the designated entity; (C) streamlining and improving the accessibility of forms and digital experiences and ensuring the accessibility of services for customers with disabilities or limited English proficiency; (D) eliminating unnecessary administrative burdens on customers; (E) engaging in efforts to coordinate with other agencies to reduce the need for customers served by the designated entity to interact separately with multiple agencies; (F) preventing fraud and improving fraud and spam reporting capabilities; and (G) incorporating best practices from the private sector, including providing online services, telephone call-back services, and training to employees who provide customer service; (2) information on the average amount of time it takes the designated entity to resolve a customer request and an identification and assessment of any backlog issues for key designated entity services, including the resolution of requests for passport services, veteran records, determinations of Social Security benefits, the processing of applications for Federal retirement benefits, and other similar services; (3) an assessment of opportunities for the designated entity to— (A) co-locate the services of the designated entity with other Federal services, where appropriate and in response to demonstrated customer needs; (B) increase the use of digital channels and self-service options, while ensuring efficient multi-channel offerings, in accordance with the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act ( 44 U.S.C. 3501 note); and (C) increase the quantity and improve the quality of protections for personally identifiable information in customer data; (4) actions to build the capacity of the designated entity to deliver leading services and manage customer experience, including updating guidance and training materials for employees of the designated entity; (5) specific proposals to improve customer experience and service delivery, including— (A) progress on the delivery of the CX Action Plan of the fiscal year in which the CX Action plan is submitted against the commitments of the CX Action Plan of the prior fiscal year, including the performance of priority services (including wait and processing times, customer feedback, and the information described in paragraph (3)); and (B) plans for the fiscal year following the submission of the CX Action Plan; and (6) the medium- and long-term customer experience strategies of the designated entity, including— (A) plans for the period of 3 to 5 fiscal years following the fiscal year of the submission of the CX Action Plan; and (B) plans for the period of 5 to 10 fiscal years following the fiscal year of the submission of the CX Action Plan. (c) Existing guidance In developing the CX Action Plan, each designated entity shall adhere to existing and additional guidance provided by the Director. 4. Oversight and annual report (a) In general The Director shall— (1) ensure designated entity compliance with this Act; (2) facilitate sharing of leading practices between designated entities; and (3) review the comprehensive CX Action Plans of designated entities for consistency with existing customer experience guidance. (b) Annual report Not later than 180 days after the submission of all CX Action Plans under section 3(a), and annually thereafter, the Director shall make public recommendations for opportunities to streamline or co-locate critical Federal services.