[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2866 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>





                                                       Calendar No. 496
118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2866

                          [Report No. 118-217]

 To improve the customer experience of the Federal Government, ensure 
 that Federal services are simple, seamless, and secure, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   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.

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

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Government 
Services Act''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    In this Act:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Agency.--The term ``agency'' has the meaning 
        given the term ``Executive agency'' in section 105 of title 5, 
        United States Code.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) CX action plan.--The term ``CX Action Plan'' 
        means the annual customer experience action plan described in 
        section 3.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) Designated entity.--The term ``designated 
        entity'' means an agency or high-impact service provider 
        designated by the Director under section 3(a).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the 
        Director of the Office of Management and Budget.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) an application, renewal, or extension 
                by a customer for a benefit or loan, including health 
                services for veterans and a small business 
                loan;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) receipt by a customer of a service, 
                including--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) health care or small business 
                        counseling; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) guidance to support commerce, 
                        transportation, employment rules, workplace 
                        safety, or public safety, including relating to 
                        ensuring clean water and consumer protection 
                        services;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) a request or renewal by a customer for 
                a document or other item, including a passport, 
                driver's license, or Social Security card;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) a submission by a customer of a 
                Federal tax return;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) a declaration of goods by a 
                customer;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (F) use by a customer of recreation 
                resources and public spaces, including a park, 
                historical site, or museum;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (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</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) solicited by the agency and identified 
                as voluntary at the time of solicitation; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) is voluntarily made by the 
                customer.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. COMPREHENSIVE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE ACTION 
              PLAN.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) CX Action Plan Contents.--The CX Action Plan of a 
designated entity shall include--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) a comprehensive customer experience strategy 
        and corresponding implementation actions that adopt leading 
        human-centered design practices that include--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) conducting outreach to the public 
                about the public services provided by the designated 
                entity;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) providing assistance to members of the 
                public enrolling in or navigating the services of the 
                designated entity;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (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;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) eliminating unnecessary administrative 
                burdens on customers;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (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;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (F) preventing fraud and improving fraud 
                and spam reporting capabilities; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (G) incorporating best practices from the 
                private sector, including providing online services, 
                telephone call-back services, and training to employees 
                who provide customer service;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) an assessment of opportunities for the 
        designated entity to--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) co-locate the services of the 
                designated entity with other Federal services, where 
                appropriate and in response to demonstrated customer 
                needs;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (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</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) increase the quantity and improve the 
                quality of protections for personally identifiable 
                information in customer data;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) specific proposals to improve customer 
        experience and service delivery, including--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (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</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) plans for the fiscal year following 
                the submission of the CX Action Plan; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) the medium- and long-term customer experience 
        strategies of the designated entity, including--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) plans for the period of 3 to 5 fiscal 
                years following the fiscal year of the submission of 
                the CX Action Plan; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) plans for the period of 5 to 10 fiscal 
                years following the fiscal year of the submission of 
                the CX Action Plan.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Existing Guidance.--In developing the CX Action Plan, 
each designated entity shall adhere to existing and additional guidance 
provided by the Director.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 4. OVERSIGHT AND ANNUAL REPORT.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--The Director shall--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) ensure designated entity compliance with this 
        Act;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) facilitate sharing of leading practices 
        between designated entities; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) review the comprehensive CX Action Plans of 
        designated entities for consistency with existing customer 
        experience guidance.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Government Services Act''.

SEC. 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.

SEC. 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.

SEC. 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.
                                                       Calendar No. 496

118th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 2866

                          [Report No. 118-217]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To improve the customer experience of the Federal Government, ensure 
 that Federal services are simple, seamless, and secure, and for other 
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           September 10, 2024

                       Reported with an amendment