[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 88 (Tuesday, May 21, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H3367-H3369]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
GOVERNMENT SERVICE DELIVERY IMPROVEMENT ACT
Ms. MACE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 5887) to amend chapter 3 of title 5, United States Code, to
improve Government service delivery, and build related capacity for the
Federal Government, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5887
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 ``Government Service Delivery
Improvement Act''.
SEC. 2. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SERVICE DELIVERY.
(a) Amendment.--Chapter 3 of title 5, United States Code,
is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SUBCHAPTER III--FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SERVICE DELIVERY
``Sec. 321. Definitions
``In this subchapter:
``(1) Agency.--The term `agency' has the meaning given that
term in section 3502 of title 44.
``(2) Director.--The term `Director' means the Director of
the Office of Management and Budget.
``(3) Government service delivery.--The term `Government
service delivery' means any action by an agency related to
providing a benefit or service to an individual, business, or
organization (such as a grantee or State, local, or Tribal
entity), including any such action of a contractor or
nonprofit organization acting on behalf of the agency or
administering a federally-funded program.
``(4) Government service delivery channel.--The term
`Government service delivery channel' means the format or
medium of an interaction or transaction with the Federal
Government, including in-person, through the mail, through a
digital service, by telephone, through a contact center, on a
website, through outreach and communication, and through
collaboration with a third party, or through other ways in
which an individual or entity significantly interacts with
the Federal Government.
``(5) High impact service provider.--The term `high impact
service provider' means an agency program identified by the
Director due to the scale and impact of the public-facing
services of the program.
``Sec. 322. Federal Government service delivery
``(a) Federal Government Service Delivery Lead.--The
Director shall designate or appoint a senior official as the
Federal Government Service Delivery Lead within the Office of
Management and Budget whose responsibility is to coordinate
governmentwide efforts to improve Government service delivery
by agencies. The individual shall have the following duties
and authorities:
``(1) Facilitate and coordinate governmentwide efforts to
improve Government service delivery provided by agencies,
particularly with respect to high impact service providers.
``(2) Carry out the duties and powers prescribed by the
Director.
``(3) Serve as the lead, governmentwide official
responsible for supporting Government service delivery.
``(4) Advise the Director concerning the improvement of
Government service delivery provided by agencies.
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``(5) In consultation with each lead agency service
delivery official and any other agency stakeholder as
appropriate, develop and oversee the implementation of
governmentwide Government service delivery standards,
policies, and guidelines for services and programs provided
by agencies, including standards, policies, and guidelines
to--
``(A) understand the needs of an individual, business, or
organization interacting with an agency;
``(B) solicit and consider voluntary feedback on the
Government service delivery by the agency;
``(C) assess Government service delivery processes;
``(D) consider the factors of ease, efficiency,
transparency, accessibility, fairness, burden (as defined in
section 3502 of title 44), and duration, including wait and
processing times, with respect to Government service
delivery; and
``(E) encourage the adoption of commercial products and
services in accordance with section 3307 of title 41.
``(6) Collect and report qualitative and quantitative
information or data on Government service delivery through
existing reporting mechanisms.
``(7) Evaluate the quality of Government service delivery,
including through the establishment of performance metrics
developed using the standards, policies, and guidelines
developed pursuant to paragraph (5) and the information or
data collected and reported pursuant to paragraph (6).
``(8) Engage with stakeholders to identify leading
practices in service design and delivery that would improve
Government service delivery across and within agencies.
``(9) Ensure agency service delivery initiatives, including
those related to the 21st Century Integrated Digital
Experience Act (15 U.S.C. 3501 note; Public Law 115-336), are
identified in agency congressional budget justifications.
``(10) Coordinate with Office of Management and Budget
stakeholders and other agency stakeholders on Government
service delivery.
``(11) In collaboration with relevant agency officials as
appropriate, and in coordination with relevant Office of
Management and Budget stakeholders, ensure that websites of
agencies, including those associated with high impact service
providers, are consistent with the objectives of this
subchapter, the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience
Act, and any other applicable law.
``Sec. 323. Lead agency officials for Government service
delivery
``(a) Responsibility for Government Service Delivery.--The
head of each agency shall be responsible for the Government
service delivery of the agency which shall, at a minimum,
include improving and enhancing Government services to better
achieve the mission of the agency and build and maintain
trust, transparency, and accountability.
``(b) Lead Agency Service Delivery Officials.--Not later
than one year after the date of the enactment of this
subchapter, the head of each agency shall designate or
appoint a senior official of the agency (who may be the
deputy head of the agency) to implement this subchapter who
shall have the following duties and authorities:
``(1) Report directly to the head or deputy head of the
agency.
``(2) Possess sufficient operational authority to
effectuate implementation of Government service delivery
improvements within the agency, particularly with respect to
high impact service providers.
``(3) Coordinate and execute, as appropriate, under the
direction of the head of the agency, and in collaboration
with relevant agency officials as appropriate, efforts to
improve and enhance the Government service delivery and
Government service delivery channels of the agency.
``(4) At the direction of the Federal Government Service
Delivery Lead, submit an implementation plan for improving
agency Government service delivery.
``(5) Coordinate the collection and reporting of the data
and information required pursuant to section 322 and use such
data and information to improve Government service delivery.
``(6) Facilitate collaboration among and between offices,
and components within the agency and with other agencies as
appropriate, in coordination with the Federal Government
Service Delivery Lead, to improve and enhance Government
service delivery.
``(7) Assist with the implementation by the agency of the
21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (15 U.S.C.
3501 note; Public Law 115-336).
``(8) Assist in the incorporation of the Government service
delivery requirements established under this subchapter in
agency plans (such as strategic plans or annual performance
plans).
``Sec. 324. Rule of construction
``Nothing in this subchapter may be construed to diminish
or reduce the authority of agency Chief Information Officers
for information resources management provided in section
11315 of title 40 or those authorities to manage information
resources to accomplish agency missions as established in
section 3502 of title 44.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter
3 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the
end the following:
``subchapter iii--federal government service delivery
``321. Definitions.
``322. Federal Government service delivery.
``323. Lead agency officials for Government service delivery.
``324. Rule of construction''.
(c) GAO Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the
United States shall submit to the relevant congressional
committees a report that includes the following:
(1) An assessment of the implementation and effectiveness
of subchapter III of chapter 3 of title 5, United States
Code, as added by subsection (a).
(2) Specific recommendations to further the implementation
and effectiveness of such subchapter.
(d) Agency Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget, in coordination with the Federal
Government Service Delivery Lead, shall submit to the
relevant congressional committees a report that includes the
following:
(1) An assessment on the implementation and effectiveness
of subchapter III of chapter 3 of title 5, United States
Code, as added by subsection (a).
(2) Specific recommendations to further the implementation
and effectiveness of such subchapter.
(3) A summary and assessment of the usefulness of the
metrics such subchapter requires the Federal Government
Service Delivery Lead to establish and report for the purpose
of assessing the quality of Government service delivery
provided by agencies, including metrics to assess the efforts
of high impact service providers in improving services.
(e) No New Funds Authorized.--No new funds are authorized
to be appropriated by this Act or any amendment made by this
Act and the head of each agency shall comply with this Act
and any amendment made by this Act using existing funds.
(f) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Agency.--The term ``agency'' means each agency listed
in section 3502 of title 44, United States Code.
(2) Government service delivery; high impact service
provider.--The terms ``Government service delivery'' and
``high impact service provider'' have the meaning given those
terms in section 321 of title 5, United States Code, as added
by subsection (a).
(3) Relevant congressional committees.--The term ``relevant
congressional committees'' means the Committee on Oversight
and Accountability of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of
the Senate.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
South Carolina (Ms. Mace) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from South Carolina.
General Leave
Ms. MACE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from South Carolina?
There was no objection.
Ms. MACE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5887.
Outdated bureaucratic government processes make it challenging and
costly to deliver government services. This wastes taxpayer dollars and
creates opportunities for fraud and abuse.
These processes do not change because Federal agencies lack a single,
designated official that Congress can hold accountable for program
service delivery, including agency-wide backlogs, unprocessed
applications, or improperly delivered benefits.
Many agency officials, program managers, policymakers, and human
resource managers, are responsible for specific parts of the problem,
but developing solutions to poor government service delivery will
require someone to be responsible for agency-wide coordination.
The Government Service Delivery Improvement Act addresses this
problem by requiring the Office of Management and Budget and Federal
agencies to designate a senior official accountable for improving
government service delivery and facilitating process reforms.
The government-wide official will develop standards, policies, and
performance metrics to ensure agency progress.
Also under the bill, senior agency officials designated to be
responsible for improving government service delivery will also be
required to coordinate with other existing agency officials, such as
[[Page H3369]]
the chief information officer, chief procurement officer, and program
managers as they work to improve agency operations and implement policy
reforms.
H.R. 5887's expansion of the Bipartisan 21st Century Integrated
Digital Experience Act of 2018 will improve congressional oversight
over the administration's government service delivery reform efforts.
I am thankful for the work of my colleagues, Representatives Khanna
and Timmons, for their work on this important legislation. Of course, I
encourage all of my colleagues to support this commonsense, bipartisan
bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RASKIN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentlewoman, again, from
South Carolina, and I thank my wonderful colleague from California, Mr.
Ro Khanna, for his leadership on H.R. 5887, the Government Service
Delivery Improvement Act. I am really proud to declare our support for
this bipartisan legislation.
Federal Government services should be accessible and responsive to
the American people. This means ensuring agencies have the resources
and staffing they need to fulfill their missions, as well as the
infrastructure and technology they need to have effective interactions
with the public. Committee Democrats have fought for adequate funding
so that the government makes the necessary Federal IT modernization
investments that our agencies need to deliver for the people. It also
means strengthening and standardizing Federal agencies' efforts to
improve the delivery of government services.
Mr. Khanna's bill would create a Federal Government service delivery
lead position in the Office of Management and Budget to coordinate
government-wide efforts to improve the delivery of services. Working
with lead service delivery officials designated at each Federal agency,
the service delivery lead at OMB would develop and oversee the
implementation of government-wide standards, policies, and guidelines
to improve government service delivery, and would evaluate agency
progress, including by collecting and reporting information, data, and
metrics.
This bipartisan bill will help ensure the Federal government is
providing the best service possible to the people and that it is acting
in transparent, methodical, and accountable ways to improve our
delivery of government services.
I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 5887.
Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from
California (Mr. Khanna).
Mr. KHANNA. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the
Government Service Delivery Improvement Act, H.R. 5887. I did want to
say a word about our ranking member. I appreciate his support, but I
have also come to appreciate at these times his erudition from the
House floor. Every time he speaks about history, I learn something, and
I have really appreciated his leadership and statements recently.
I appreciate Representative Mace, Representative Timmons,
Representatives Donalds, Loudermilk, and, of course, our Ranking
Members Raskin and Connolly for truly making this a bipartisan effort,
and Selene Ceja on our team and the Oversight and Accountability
Committee staff who have been incredible on both sides.
I am proud to say that this bipartisan legislation passed unanimously
in the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability with a vote of
44-0.
The Government Service Delivery Improvement Act builds upon the
progress made by the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience, or
21st Century IDEA. While the IDEA Act primarily focused on digital
services, this bill takes the next step by addressing all service
channels, including online, in-person, and by phone.
What sets this bill apart is its whole-of-government approach. It
recognizes that improving service delivery requires collaboration. The
bill directs the head of Federal agencies to each designate a senior
official responsible for improving services, and it requires the Office
of Management and Budget to select a senior official to coordinate
efforts across Federal agencies.
We really appreciated working with the OMB and with both the
Democratic and Republican oversight staffs who have been excellent.
These officials will help agencies implement best practices, measure
progress, and enhance coordination.
The Government Service Delivery Improvement Act prioritizes
constituents' experience by mandating agencies to incorporate service
delivery into their strategic plan.
Madam Speaker, the Government Service Delivery Improvement Act
represents a significant step forward in creating a more responsive,
efficient, and service-delivery oriented Federal Government. It is a
commonsense approach to improving government services.
I thank, again, Representative Mace, who has always been a pleasure
to work with, and our lead, Ranking Member Raskin.
Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes''
on H.R. 5887.
Ms. MACE. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
South Carolina (Mr. Timmons).
Mr. TIMMONS. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, Ro Khanna, for his
leadership on this bill.
Over the past year and a half, the Oversight and Accountability
Committee has investigated numerous instances of our government failing
to provide adequate service to the American people. From passport
backlogs to delays for veterans requesting personnel records, we simply
need to do better.
As Members of Congress, some of our most rewarding work is helping
our constituents who are caught up in the web of government red tape.
Whether they are a small business trying to get records from the IRS,
someone in need of an emergency passport, or a senior requiring a long
overdue answer from Social Security, our assistance is often how we
make our most immediate impact on our communities. However, frankly,
many of these issues we deal with most shouldn't require our assistance
at all. They are a failure of agencies to prioritize innovation and
customer service.
In order to fix this failure, this Government Service Delivery
Improvement Act tasks OMB with designating a senior official to
coordinate agency efforts to work more efficiently and deliver services
in a timely and unwasteful manner. This bill will also require the
designation of a senior official for every Federal agency that will be
responsible for improving the service delivery of that particular
agency.
This bill allows Congress to further hold agency heads accountable to
drive necessary changes, enhance services, and ultimately foster
greater trust with the people they serve.
The Government Service Delivery Improvement Act isn't just about
streamlining processes, it is about rebuilding trust between the
government and its people. It is about ensuring that when Americans
turn to their government for assistance, they are met with efficiency,
reliability, and, above all, respect.
With that, Madam Speaker, I, again, thank my friend, Mr. Khanna, for
his leadership on this bill and Chairman Mace for her assistance in
bringing this to the floor.
Madam Speaker, I urge all Members of this House to support the bill.
Mr. RASKIN. Madam Speaker, I urge everyone to support the
legislation, and I yield the back the balance of my time.
Ms. MACE. In closing, Madam Speaker, I encourage all my colleagues to
support this bill which will improve Federal Government programs
service delivery for the American people, and I yield back the balance
of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from South Carolina (Ms. Mace) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5887, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________