An act to improve executive agency digital services, and for other purposes
PL 115-336 (H.R.5759), enacted 12/20/2018

132 STAT. 5025 
PUBLIC LAW 115–336—DEC. 20, 2018 
Public Law 115–336 
115th Congress 
An Act 
To improve executive agency digital services, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘21st Century Integrated Digital 
Experience Act’’ or the ‘‘21st Century IDEA’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means the Director 
of the Office of Management and Budget. 
(2) EXECUTIVE AGENCY.—The term ‘‘executive agency’’ has 
the meaning given the term ‘‘Executive agency’’ in section 105 
of title 5, United States Code. 
SEC. 3. WEBSITE MODERNIZATION. 
(a) REQUIREMENTS
FOR NEW WEBSITES
AND DIGITAL SERV-
ICES.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, an executive agency that creates a website or digital 
service that is intended for use by the public, or conducts a redesign 
of an existing legacy website or digital service that is intended 
for use by the public, shall ensure to the greatest extent practicable 
that any new or redesigned website, web-based form, web-based 
application, or digital service— 
(1) is accessible to individuals with disabilities in accord-
ance with section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 
U.S.C. 794d); 
(2) has a consistent appearance; 
(3) does not overlap with or duplicate any legacy websites 
and, if applicable, ensure that legacy websites are regularly 
reviewed, eliminated, and consolidated; 
(4) contains a search function that allows users to easily 
search content intended for public use; 
(5) is provided through an industry standard secure connec-
tion; 
(6) is designed around user needs with data-driven analysis 
influencing management and development decisions, using 
qualitative and quantitative data to determine user goals, 
needs, and behaviors, and continually test the website, web- 
based form, web-based application, or digital service to ensure 
that user needs are addressed; 
(7) provides users of the new or redesigned website, web- 
based form, web-based application, or digital service with the 
Deadline. 
21st Century 
Integrated 
Digital 
Experience Act. 
44 USC 3501 
note. 
Dec. 20, 2018 
[H.R. 5759] 
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132 STAT. 5026 
PUBLIC LAW 115–336—DEC. 20, 2018 
option for a more customized digital experience that allows 
users to complete digital transactions in an efficient and 
accurate manner; and 
(8) is fully functional and usable on common mobile devices. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS FOR EXISTING EXECUTIVE AGENCY WEBSITES 
AND DIGITAL SERVICES.—Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the head of each executive agency that 
maintains a website or digital service that is made available to 
the public shall— 
(1) review each website or digital service; and 
(2) submit to Congress a report that includes— 
(A) a list of the websites and digital services main-
tained by the executive agency that are most viewed or 
utilized by the public or are otherwise important for public 
engagement; 
(B) from among the websites and digital services listed 
under subparagraph (A), a prioritization of websites and 
digital services that require modernization to meet the 
requirements under subsection (a); and 
(C) an estimation of the cost and schedule of modern-
izing the websites and digital services prioritized under 
subparagraph (B). 
(c) INTERNAL DIGITAL SERVICES.—The head of each executive 
agency shall ensure, to the greatest extent practicable, that any 
Intranet established after the date of enactment of this Act conforms 
to the requirements described in subsection (a). 
(d) PUBLIC REPORTING.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act and every year thereafter for 4 years, 
the head of each executive agency shall— 
(1) report annually to the Director on the progress of the 
executive agency in implementing the requirements described 
in this section for the previous year; and 
(2) include the information described in paragraph (1) in 
a publicly available report that is required under another provi-
sion of law. 
(e) COMPLIANCE WITH UNITED STATES WEBSITE STANDARDS.— 
Any website of an executive agency that is made available to 
the public after the date of enactment of this Act shall be in 
compliance with the website standards of the Technology Trans-
formation Services of the General Services Administration. 
SEC. 4. DIGITIZATION OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES AND FORMS. 
(a) NON-DIGITAL SERVICES.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall issue guidance 
to the head of each executive agency that establishes a process 
for the executive agency to— 
(1) identify public non-digital, paper-based, or in-person 
Government services; and 
(2) include in the budget request of the executive agency— 
(A) a list of non-digital services with the greatest 
impact that could be made available to the public through 
an online, mobile-friendly, digital service option in a 
manner that decreases cost, increases digital conversion 
rates, and improves customer experience; and 
(B) an estimation of the cost and schedule associated 
with carrying out the modernization described in subpara-
graph (A). 
Cost estimate. 
Lists. 
Deadline. 
Guidance. 
Cost estimate. 
Lists. 
Reports. 
Deadline. 
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132 STAT. 5027 
PUBLIC LAW 115–336—DEC. 20, 2018 
(b) SERVICES REQUIRED TO BE DIGITAL.—The head of each 
executive agency shall regularly review public-facing applications 
and services to ensure that those applications and services are, 
to the greatest extent practicable, made available to the public 
in a digital format. 
(c) FORMS REQUIRED TO BE DIGITAL.—Not later than 2 years 
after the enactment of this Act, the head of each executive agency 
shall ensure that any paper based form that is related to serving 
the public is made available in a digital format that meets the 
requirements described in section 3(a). 
(d) NON-DIGITIZABLE PROCESSES.—If the head of an executive 
agency cannot make available in a digital format under this section 
an in-person Government service, form, or paper-based process, 
the head of the executive agency shall document— 
(1) the title of the in-person Government service, form, 
or paper-based process; 
(2) a description of the in-person Government service, form, 
or paper-based process; 
(3) each unit responsible for the in-person Government 
service, form, or paper-based process and the location of each 
unit in the organizational hierarchy of the executive agency; 
(4) any reasons why the in-person Government service, 
form, or paper-based process cannot be made available under 
this section; and 
(5) any potential solutions that could allow the in-person 
Government service, form, or paper-based process to be made 
available under this section, including the implementation of 
existing technologies, procedural changes, regulatory changes, 
and legislative changes. 
(e) PHYSICAL AVAILABILITY.—Each executive agency shall main-
tain an accessible method of completing digital services through 
in-person, paper-based, or other means, such that individuals with-
out the ability to use digital services are not deprived of or impeded 
in access to those digital services. 
SEC. 5. ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the head of each executive agency shall submit to the 
Director and the appropriate congressional committees a plan to 
accelerate the use of electronic signatures standards established 
under the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce 
Act (15 U.S.C. 7001 et seq.). 
SEC. 6. CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND DIGITAL SERVICE DELIVERY. 
The Chief Information Officer of each executive agency, or 
a designee, shall— 
(1) coordinate and ensure alignment of the internal and 
external customer experience programs and strategy of the 
executive agency; 
(2) coordinate with the management leaders of the execu-
tive agency, including the head of the executive agency, the 
Chief Financial Officer, and any program manager, to ensure 
proper funding to support the implementation of this Act; 
(3) continually examine the digital service delivery strategy 
of the executive agency to the public and submit recommenda-
tions to the head of the executive agency providing guidance 
and best practices suitable to the mission of the executive 
agency; 
Recommenda- 
tions. 
Coordination. 
Deadline. 
Plan. 
Deadline. 
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132 STAT. 5028 
PUBLIC LAW 115–336—DEC. 20, 2018 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 5759 (S. 3050): 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 115–1055 (Comm. on Oversight and Government Reform). 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 115–418 (Comm. on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs) accompanying S. 3050. 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 164 (2018): 
Nov. 29, considered and passed House. 
Dec. 11, considered and passed Senate. 
(4) using qualitative and quantitative data obtained from 
across the executive agency relating to the experience and 
satisfaction of customers, identify areas of concern that need 
improvement and improve the delivery of customer service; 
(5) coordinate and ensure, with the approval of the head 
of the executive agency, compliance by the executive agency 
with section 3559 of title 44, United States Code; and 
(6) to the extent practicable, coordinate with other agencies 
and seek to maintain as much standardization and commonality 
with other agencies as practicable in implementing the require-
ments of this Act, to best enable future transitions to central-
ized shared services. 
SEC. 7. STANDARDIZATION. 
(a) DESIGN
AND
IMPLEMENTATION.—Each executive agency 
shall, to the extent practicable, seek to maintain as much standard-
ization and commonality with other executive agencies as prac-
ticable in implementing the requirements of this Act to best enable 
future transitions to centralized shared services. 
(b) COORDINATION.—The Chief Information Officer of each 
executive agency, or a designee, shall coordinate the implementation 
of the requirements of this Act, including the development of stand-
ards and commonalities. 
(c) FEDERAL SUPPLY SCHEDULE.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The General Services Administration 
shall make available under a Federal Supply Schedule the 
systems and services necessary to fulfill the requirements of 
this Act. 
(2) 
REQUIREMENTS.—The 
Federal 
Supply 
Schedule 
described in paragraph (1) shall, to the extent practicable, 
ensure interoperability between executive agencies, compliance 
with industry standards, and adherence to best practices for 
design, accessibility, and information security. 
Approved December 20, 2018. 
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