[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 185 (Monday, November 13, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H9142-H9143]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONNECTED GOVERNMENT ACT
Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
and pass the bill (H.R. 2331) to require a new or updated Federal
website that is intended for use by the public to be mobile friendly,
and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2331
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 ``Connected Government Act''.
SEC. 2. FEDERAL WEBSITES REQUIRED TO BE MOBILE FRIENDLY.
(a) Amendment.--Subchapter II of chapter 35 of title 44,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:
``Sec. 3559. Federal websites required to be mobile friendly.
``(a) In General.--If, on or after the date that is 180
days after the date of the enactment of this section, an
agency creates a website that is intended for use by the
public or conducts a redesign of an existing legacy website
that is intended for use by the public, the agency shall
ensure to the greatest extent practicable that the website is
mobile friendly.
``(b) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Agency.--The term `agency' has the meaning given that
term in section 551 of title 5.
``(2) Mobile friendly.--The term `mobile friendly' means,
with respect to a website, that the website is configured in
such a way that the website may be navigated, viewed, and
accessed on a smartphone, tablet computer, or similar mobile
device.''.
(b) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--The table of
sections at the beginning of chapter 35 of title 44, United
States Code, is amended by adding after the item related to
section 3558 the following new item:
``3559. Federal websites required to be mobile friendly''.
(c) Report by OMB and GSA Required.--Not later than 18
months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Director of the Office of Management and Budget, in
consultation with the Administrator of General Services,
shall make publicly available and submit to Congress a report
that--
(1) describes the implementation of the requirement
described under section 3559 of title 44, United States Code,
as added by subsection (a); and
(2) assesses the compliance of each agency with such
requirement.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Jody B. Hice) and the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms.
Kelly) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia.
General Leave
Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent
that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and
extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Georgia?
There was no objection.
Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as
I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2331, introduced by the
gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Kelly). The bill requires all Federal
agencies to ensure any Federal Government website intended for use by
the public is mobile friendly. Services offered by the Federal
Government should be effective but also accessible to the public.
Agency websites are one of the most important tools for taxpayers to
observe services and information from the government.
The U.S. Government runs more than 6,000 websites on over 400
domains. One recent study estimated that approximately 40 percent of
government websites either are not accessible or are difficult to
access on a phone, yet nearly 80 percent of Americans own a smartphone,
and at least 1 in 10 American adults rely exclusively on a smartphone
for access to the internet, according to a Pew survey. The data clearly
points to the utility of making all government websites mobile
friendly.
Another study found that more people accessed the internet on their
mobile devices than a desktop computer for the first time last year. It
is clear that Federal agencies must emphasize mobile accessibility to
effectively serve the American people. The Connected Government Act
will require agencies to do just that.
This bill requires Federal agencies to ensure their websites are
mobile friendly during the course of creating new websites or updating
existing ones. A mobile-friendly government is a necessary step in the
modernization of the government's IT infrastructure.
Mr. Speaker, I applaud my colleague, the gentlewoman from Illinois,
for her work in sponsoring this bill. I am proud also to support this
bipartisan legislation, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a blog post regarding this bill
written by Congressman Pallone and myself.
[From the Energy & Commerce Democrats, Sep. 13, 2017]
It's Time To Give the Government an Upgrade for the Mobile World
(By Frank Pallone, Jr. and Robin Kelly)
In the wake of the natural disasters devastating so much of
the country, millions of Americans are turning to federal
agencies for help--but the government's websites don't always
make it easy. We've introduced legislation in the House that
would change that, and it's moving forward at a time when it
can help a lot of Americans who are suffering.
For people who were forced from their homes or are without
power because of hurricanes, storms or wildfires, their only
connection to necessities of survival--food, water, fuel, and
shelter--is through their mobile phones. It's the device they
could take with them when they had to flee their homes. But
while private websites and charities have developed new
mobile websites and apps to help those who are still
struggling, many of the essential government websites on
which people depend are essentially unusable on a phone.
During any natural disaster, we expect the government to be
at its best. But for people whose homes have been flooded,
burned out, or leveled, trying to navigate government
websites on their phones likely feels like a waste of time.
For instance, if you need to start looking for a loan to
rebuild your home, good luck trying to use your phone to
navigate the website for the Department of Housing and Urban
Development. If you need to reach state or local authorities,
the problems get worse. And asking people to hunt down a
working desktop computer right now is just unreasonable.
Although these natural disasters are making this problem
more acute, the need for a
[[Page H9143]]
government-wide upgrade is only growing more important every
day. That's because the people who need the most help are
often on mobile devices. If you are young, if you have a
lower income, or if you are a minority, you are much more
likely to use a smartphone as your only entry point to the
internet.
The gap is significant--people earning less than $30,000
were 13 times more likely in 2015 to depend on a smartphone
than people earning more than $75,000. Yet websites that are
intended to strengthen the social safety net like programs
providing food assistance are nearly inaccessible on a phone.
A smart government brings services to people when they need them most--
not the other way around
Last year we crossed a significant threshold--Americans are
now more likely to access the internet on their mobile device
than on their desktop computer. If people rely on mobile
devices, our services should be designed for mobile devices,
and that's why agencies with consumer-facing websites should
be designed with an eye towards mobile first. These mobile
sites can make it easier for people who may not have the time
to wait in line at a government office.
In order to bring government up to speed, we have
introduced the Connected Government Act, which ensures that
all new federal agency websites are designed to work well on
mobile devices. These federal sites would serve as an example
to the states who need to do more to modernize their own
technology. This simple change can have a big impact--from
shorter lines and faster service, to providing more help to
more people. Mobile friendly websites will ultimately help
build a stronger democracy.
Today, our bill is expected to clear a crucial committee
vote in the House. And our colleagues Senators Maggie Hassan
(D-NH) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) recently introduced a
companion bill in the Senate. With this progress, our path to
a smarter government is within reach. Congress should act
soon to get this bill passed.
In the wake of these recent disasters, we need to ensure
that anyone looking for assistance from a federal agency can
get the information they need through their mobile device.
This is the least we can do to help alleviate some of the
stress people feel in times of need.
Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank the coleader on this
bill, Congressman Frank Pallone, who has been a strong supporter every
step of the way, from the bill's drafting through today's floor
consideration. I also thank my good friend Congressman Mark Meadows, a
cosponsor of the bill, and I thank Senator Hassan, who introduced the
Senate companion.
Mr. Speaker, this is a simple bill that will ensure all government
websites are accessible to all Americans. It simply requires that any
new or updated Federal websites be mobile friendly. It is 2017. We need
Federal websites to work for all Americans.
In the past 90 days, there were 2.61 billion visits to Federal
websites. Almost 40 percent of those came from mobile devices. That is
over 1 billion hits from mobile devices like tablets and smartphones.
But today, according to a report by the Information Technology and
Innovation Foundation, 40 percent of government websites don't work on
smartphones or are mobile unfriendly.
Alarmingly, many of these sites are critical to serving the American
people, like the application for Federal student aid and the launch
point for bidding on Federal Government contracts. For millions of
Americans without access to reliable broadband or without a desktop
computer, smartphones are their doorway to the internet.
A recent Pew report found that younger Americans, low-income
Americans, rural Americans, and people of color are more likely to rely
only on smartphones to browse the web.
Today, 77 percent of Americans own and use smartphones to access the
internet. For 10 percent of Americans, it is their primary access to
the internet. That is 32 million Americans. It is unacceptable for 32
million Americans to have difficulty reaching their government simply
because we couldn't keep up with technological trends.
Recently, Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria showed just how vital
smartphones have become, especially during disasters. In the aftermath
of these storms, millions of Americans relied on their smartphones to
find assistance. Imagine the frustration of navigating SBA, FEMA, or
HUD websites, looking for assistance on a 5-inch screen, and the site
not working because it is only designed for desktop browsing.
In my time serving as the ranking member of the Information
Technology Subcommittee, it has been clear that the Federal
Government's IT systems are not working and have not kept up with even
the most basic technology trends that are common in the private sector.
Americans deserve a modern American Government that is accessible and
responsive to their needs. This bill takes us one step closer to
realizing this goal.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense bill
that the CBO has said will have no significant cost to taxpayers.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for
her great work on this bill, I urge adoption of it, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, this year's natural disasters have
devastated millions of Americans across the country, leaving so many
with little more than the smartphone in their pocket. But when these
people look to the government for help, they find that too many of the
governments' websites aren't made for the computers they have with them
all the time--their phones. Our bill takes a big step forward in fixing
that issue and helping these Americans get back on their feet. I want
to thank Congresswoman Kelly for championing the Connected Government
Act in the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. I urge my
colleagues to support this common sense bill, and I hope we can secure
passage in the Senate soon.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Jody B. Hice) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2331, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas
and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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