[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.
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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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