[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 188 (Thursday, November 29, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H9714-H9716]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             FEDERAL AGENCY CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE ACT OF 2018

  Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 2846) to require the collection of voluntary feedback on services 
provided by agencies, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows

                               H.R. 2846

       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 ``Federal Agency Customer 
     Experience Act of 2018''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
       (1) the Federal Government serves the people of the United 
     States and should seek to continually improve public services 
     provided by the Federal Government based on customer 
     feedback;
       (2) the people of the United States deserve a Federal 
     Government that provides efficient, effective, and high-
     quality services across multiple channels;
       (3) many agencies, offices, programs, and Federal employees 
     provide excellent service to individuals, however many parts 
     of the Federal Government still fall short on delivering the 
     customer service experience that individuals have come to 
     expect from the private sector;
       (4) according to the 2016 American Customer Satisfaction 
     Index, the Federal Government ranks among the bottom of all 
     industries in the United States in customer satisfaction;
       (5) providing quality services to individuals improves the 
     confidence of the people of the United States in their 
     government and helps agencies achieve greater impact and 
     fulfill their missions; and
       (6) improving service to individuals requires agencies to 
     work across organizational boundaries, leverage technology, 
     collect and share standardized data, and develop customer-
     centered mindsets and service strategies.
       (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     all agencies should strive to provide high-quality, 
     courteous, effective, and efficient services to the people of 
     the United States and seek to measure, collect, report, and 
     utilize metrics relating to the experience of individuals 
     interacting with agencies to continually improve services to 
     the people of the United States.

[[Page H9715]]

  


     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
     Administrator of General Services.
       (2) Agency.--The term ``agency'' has the meaning given the 
     term in section 3502 of title 44, United States Code.
       (3) Covered agency.--The term ``covered agency'' means an 
     agency or component of an agency that is designated as a 
     ``covered agency'' pursuant to section 5(a).
       (4) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
     the Office of Management and Budget.
       (5) Voluntary customer service feedback.--The term 
     ``voluntary customer service feedback'' means a response to a 
     collection of information conducted by a covered agency in 
     accordance with this Act.

     SEC. 4. APPLICATION OF CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE PAPERWORK 
                   REDUCTION ACT TO COLLECTION OF VOLUNTARY 
                   CUSTOMER SERVICE FEEDBACK.

       Sections 3506(c) and 3507 of title 44, United States Code 
     (provisions of what is commonly known as the ``Paperwork 
     Reduction Act'') shall not apply to a collection of voluntary 
     customer service feedback.

     SEC. 5. GUIDELINES FOR VOLUNTARY CUSTOMER SERVICE FEEDBACK.

       (a) Evaluation and Designation.--The Director shall assess 
     agencies, agency components, and agency programs to identify 
     which have the highest impact on or number of interactions 
     with individuals or entities. Based on the assessment, the 
     Director shall designate agencies, agency components, or 
     programs as covered agencies for purposes of this Act.
       (b) Guidance.--The Director shall issue guidance that 
     requires each covered agency that solicits voluntary customer 
     service feedback to ensure that--
       (1) any response to the solicitation of voluntary customer 
     service feedback remains anonymous, the collection method 
     does not include a request for or opportunity for the 
     respondent to provide information that could identify such 
     respondent, and any response is not traced to a specific 
     individual or entity;
       (2) any individual or entity who declines to participate in 
     the solicitation of voluntary customer service feedback shall 
     not be treated differently by the agency for purposes of 
     providing services or information;
       (3) the solicitation does not include more than 10 
     questions;
       (4) the voluntary nature of the solicitation is clear;
       (5) the collection of voluntary customer service feedback 
     is only used to improve customer service and will not be used 
     for any other purpose;
       (6) any solicitation of voluntary customer service feedback 
     is limited to 1 solicitation per interaction with an 
     individual or entity;
       (7) to the extent practicable, the solicitation of 
     voluntary customer service feedback is made at the point of 
     service with an individual or entity;
       (8) any instrument for collecting voluntary customer 
     service feedback is accessible to individuals with 
     disabilities in accordance with section 508 of the 
     Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d); and
       (9) internal agency data governance policies remain in 
     effect with respect to the collection of voluntary customer 
     service feedback from any individual or entity.

     SEC. 6. CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE DATA COLLECTION.

       (a) Collection of Responses.--The head of each covered 
     agency (or a designee), assisted by and in consultation with 
     the Performance Improvement Officer or other senior 
     accountable official for customer service of the covered 
     agency, shall collect voluntary customer service feedback 
     with respect to any service of or transaction with the 
     covered agency that has been identified by the Director, in 
     consultation with the Administrator, in accordance with the 
     guidance issued by the Director under section 5.
       (b) Content of Questions.--
       (1) Standardized questions.--The Director, in consultation 
     with the Administrator, shall develop a set of standardized 
     questions for use by each covered agency in collecting 
     voluntary customer service feedback under this section that 
     address--
       (A) overall satisfaction of individuals or entities with 
     the specific interaction or service received;
       (B) the extent to which individuals or entities were able 
     to accomplish their intended task or purpose;
       (C) whether the individual or entity was treated with 
     respect and professionalism;
       (D) whether the individual or entity believes they were 
     served in a timely manner; and
       (E) any additional metrics as determined by the Director, 
     in consultation with the Administrator.
       (2) Additional questions.--In addition to the questions 
     developed pursuant to paragraph (1), the Director shall 
     consult with the Performance Improvement Council to develop 
     additional questions relevant to the operations or programs 
     of covered agencies.
       (c) Additional Requirements.--To the extent practicable--
       (1) each covered agency shall collect voluntary customer 
     service feedback across all platforms or channels through 
     which the covered agency interacts with individuals or other 
     entities to deliver information or services; and
       (2) voluntary customer service feedback collected under 
     this section shall be tied to specific transactions or 
     interactions with customers of the covered agency.
       (d) Reports.--
       (1) Annual report to the director.--
       (A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than 
     annually thereafter, each covered agency shall publish on the 
     website of the covered agency and submit to the Director, in 
     a manner determined by the Director--
       (i) a report that includes--

       (I) the voluntary customer service feedback for the 
     previous year; and
       (II) descriptions of how the covered agency has used and 
     plans to use such feedback; and

       (ii) a machine readable dataset that includes--

       (I) the the standardized questions or additional questions 
     described in subsection (b) and the response choices for such 
     questions; and
       (II) the response rate for each collection of voluntary 
     customer service feedback for the previous year.

       (B) Centralized website.--The Director shall--
       (i) include and maintain on a publicly available website 
     links to the information provided on the websites of covered 
     agencies under subparagraph (A); and
       (ii) for purposes of clause (i), establish a website or 
     make use of an existing website, such as the website required 
     under section 1122 of title 31, United States Code.
       (2) Aggregated report.--Each covered agency shall publish 
     in an electronic format and update on a regular basis an 
     aggregated report on the solicitation and use of voluntary 
     customer service feedback, which shall include--
       (A) the intended purpose of each solicitation of voluntary 
     customer service feedback conducted by the covered agency;
       (B) the appropriate point of contact within each covered 
     agency for each solicitation of voluntary customer service 
     feedback conducted;
       (C) the questions or survey instrument submitted to members 
     of the public as part of the solicitation of voluntary 
     customer service feedback; and
       (D) a description of how the covered agency uses the 
     voluntary customer service feedback received by the covered 
     agency to improve the customer service of the covered agency.

     SEC. 7. CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE SCORECARD REPORT.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 15 months after the date on 
     which all covered agencies have submitted the first annual 
     reports to the Director required under section 6(d)(1), and 
     every 2 years thereafter until the date that is 10 years 
     after such date, the Comptroller General of the United States 
     shall make publicly available and submit to the Committee on 
     Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and 
     the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House 
     of Representatives a scorecard report assessing the data 
     collected and reported by the covered agencies and each 
     instrument used to collect voluntary customer service 
     feedback.
       (b) Contents.--The report required under subsection (a) 
     shall include--
       (1) a summary of the information required to be published 
     by covered agencies under section 6(d);
       (2) a description of how each covered agency plans to use 
     and has used the voluntary customer service feedback received 
     by the covered agency; and
       (3) an evaluation of each covered agency's compliance with 
     this Act.

     SEC. 8. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of Congress that adequate Federal funding 
     is needed to ensure agency staffing levels that can provide 
     the public with appropriate customer service levels.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Kentucky (Mr. Comer) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. 
Maloney) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.


                             General Leave

  Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in 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 Kentucky?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of H.R. 2846, sponsored by Congressman 
Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania.
  The Federal Government is in the service industry. Members of this 
Chamber and our staffs work every day, both here and in our respective 
districts, to serve our constituents, the American people. The same can 
be said of the executive branch.
  For instance, the Department of Veterans Affairs serves this Nation's 
military men and women by providing healthcare services, funding 
education under the GI Bill, and helping veterans and their families 
afford homes.
  However, the 2017 American Customer Satisfaction Index found that the 
Federal Government ranks near the bottom of all industries in the 
United States when it comes to customer service. The Federal Government 
can and must do better for the very people who pay its bills.
  In the private sector, companies understand the importance of 
customer service. As Americans, we can barely

[[Page H9716]]

go one day without being asked by a company to provide feedback, 
whether it is when we make a purchase online, when we call our banks or 
credit card companies, or when we go out to eat at a restaurant. But 
Federal agencies often don't prioritize customer feedback because they 
don't have to compete for customers.
  The Federal Agency Customer Experience Act will change that by 
requiring certain high-impact agencies to collect voluntary feedback on 
the services they provide, while also making it easier for other 
agencies to do the same if they choose to.
  Using feedback provided by the public, agencies will know more about 
which aspects of their services are working and which need to be 
improved. The voluntary questionnaires created under this bill will 
address the individual's satisfaction with a specific agency 
interaction and ensure they were treated with professionalism and 
respect.
  Finally, the Government Accountability Office will create 
governmentwide customer experience scorecards to show everyone which 
agencies excel and which agencies need to improve.
  I thank the bipartisan group of my colleagues who supported H.R. 2846 
during committee consideration of the bill, and I urge all Members to 
support this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, improving government interactions with the public must 
be a constant goal of Federal agencies and Members of Congress. I 
support this bill because it moves us toward that objective.
  The House bill before us is the companion measure to a bill 
introduced by Senator Claire McCaskill which passed the Senate 
unanimously last year.
  H.R. 2846 would require Federal agencies to collect voluntary 
feedback from the public, a common practice in the private sector. 
Agencies would have to report the results of this feedback to the 
Office of Management and Budget and post it on agency websites.
  Importantly, agencies would be required to ensure that this 
information is anonymous and protect their privacy.
  However, using customer satisfaction sources to demonize certain 
agencies or agency personnel is not an appropriate use of this 
information. This feedback should be used for constructive purposes.
  Measuring the public's satisfaction with the service agencies provide 
is a good step toward improving services overall and will hopefully 
provide insight into how agencies can improve their operations. The aim 
is to create a virtuous cycle, not a vicious one.
  Congress must also recognize its role in improving agency performance 
and customer satisfaction. Agencies will inevitably receive low 
satisfaction scores from the public if they are woefully underfunded 
and are not able to hire and adequately train employees, as this has, 
unfortunately, been the case at some agencies over the past few years.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick), the sponsor of this bill.
  Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, every day throughout the private 
sector, businesses obtain feedback from their customers to improve 
their products and improve their services. However, this is much less 
common--if not nonexistent--within the Federal Government, where 
agencies could be doing far more to improve the customer service 
experience of every citizen in this country. The latest American 
Customer Satisfaction Index found the Federal Government is near the 
bottom of the list when it comes to customer satisfaction.
  H.R. 2846 requires certain Federal agencies to collect voluntary 
feedback from individuals about their interactions with the government. 
People who interact with government agencies will have the opportunity 
to give feedback on their experience. Using feedback provided by the 
public, agencies will figure out just how effectively they are at 
serving the American people.
  The result, Mr. Speaker, will be a win-win. The American public 
receives better services and customer care, while agencies achieve 
greater impact and ability to fulfill their missions.
  H.R. 2846 also sets guidelines for agencies' solicitation of 
voluntary feedback from the public. The questionnaire will be no longer 
than 10 questions, and the response must be anonymous. Agencies are 
required to work with the General Services Administration and the 
Office of Management and Budget to formulate their surveys to ensure 
feedback is both reliable and useful.

  However, customer feedback on its own will not improve the 
relationship between the American people and the Federal Government. 
H.R. 2846 requires agencies to report publicly on the voluntary 
feedback that they collect.
  This report will include information about the feedback received and 
a description of how the agency will go about improving customer 
service. The Government Accountability Office will also create customer 
experience scorecards for the agencies to foster accountability.
  I urge my friends on both sides of the aisle to support H.R. 2846.
  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I have no further 
speakers on this bill on this side, and I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Comer) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2846, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to require 
the collection of voluntary customer service feedback on services 
provided by agencies, and for other purposes.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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