Trust in Public Service Act
This bill incorporates customer experience as a central measure of performance for federal agencies.
Specifically, the bill requires each agency to develop a high-quality customer experience by
Each agency shall
The bill sets forth agency communication responsibilities.
In addition, the OMB must issue guidance for agencies in collaboration with specified entities. It may establish programs that annually recognize individuals and teams across the federal workforce meeting customer service-related goals.
The bill (1) integrates customer experience provisions into the U.S. code and the Federal Citizen Services Fund, (2) directs the OMB to establish an Office of Customer Experience, and (3) integrates customer experience into the responsibilities of key agency officials.
The OMB, in coordination with the Office of Customer Experience, must establish the Participatory Government and Civic Dialogue Advisory Council.
The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress, assessing agency efforts and examining best practices.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3609 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3609
To improve public trust in the Federal Government by establishing
customer experience as a central measure of performance for agencies
and the Federal Government, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 28, 2021
Mr. Loudermilk (for himself and Mr. Connolly) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and
in addition to the Committee on Appropriations, for a period to be
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve public trust in the Federal Government by establishing
customer experience as a central measure of performance for agencies
and the Federal Government, and for other purposes.
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 ``Trust in Public Service Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Although the public believes that the Federal
Government serves an indispensable role and often performs
quite well, overall trust in the Federal Government is at
historic lows.
(2) Agencies face competing requirements and respond to
evolving and diverse needs in a context of uncertainty and
constrained resources. To perform this challenging job for the
benefit of the public, experimentation, learning, and failure
should be expected and welcomed. Congress must support agencies
throughout this process by balancing traditional oversight with
dedicated efforts to celebrate progress and locate setbacks
within a broader context.
(3) Improving public trust requires delivering tangible
results that address the needs of the public, including those
needs that span agencies or require coordination with State,
local, Tribal, or territorial governments. But improving public
trust also requires the Federal Government to consider much
more deeply how interaction with the public shapes public
perceptions and how communication by the Federal Government can
provide better context on the many ways in which the Federal
Government serves the public.
(4) In terms of public interaction, whether seeking a small
business loan, veterans' services, Social Security benefits, or
other service or information, the people of the United States
deserve a customer experience that matches or exceeds that of
leading private sector organizations. This level of customer
experience means experiences are seamless, connected,
inclusive, effective, consistent, and reliable.
(5) Customer experience (commonly referred to as ``CX'') is
a vital means for agencies to pursue their missions in a more
effective and responsive way and at a lower cost, as research
shows that customer experience is linked to--
(A) more accurate and timely data submissions;
(B) increased feedback that improves services
through 3 different means, which include--
(i) process, procedure, product, or safety
improvement;
(ii) uncovering unmet customer needs that
require a new or innovative approach; and
(iii) informing leadership decision making
so that agencies are grounded in improving
customer outcomes;
(C) improved compliance with agency regulations and
guidance; and
(D) improved workforce morale and retention.
(6) Customer experience is also highly correlated with
public trust in the Federal Government and is therefore
essential for broader efforts of the Federal Government to earn
and maintain the consent of the governed.
(7) Yet the Forrester's 2020 Federal Customer Experience
Index noted that Federal customer experience lags behind all
sectors of private industry. While the Federal Government faces
constraints that the private sector does not face, including
competing requirements, such as balancing speed and combating
fraud, an obligation to serve the entire public, less nimble
workforce and hiring policies, and personnel and spending
constraints, the Federal Government has both the ability and
imperative to improve customer experience.
(8) Research also shows a strong correlation between
employee engagement and the quality of customer experience.
Employees provide better customer experience when they feel
valued and identify with the missions of their agencies, and,
as customer experience and confidence in the agency improves,
those employees become even more committed, creative, and
professional.
(9) The Federal Government has made significant progress on
improving customer experience, including through--
(A) efforts within the General Services
Administration, such as the 18F Office, the 10X
Program, the U.S. Web Design System, the Digital.gov
communities and website, and the Presidential
Innovation Fellows Program;
(B) the Smarter IT Schedule A hiring authority
issued by the Director of the Office of Personnel
Management;
(C) the Technology Modernization Fund established
under section 1078 of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (40 U.S.C. 11301
note), which provides broad authority for information
technology modernization to improve customer experience
and public-facing digital services;
(D) efforts on employee engagement by the Office of
Personnel Management and the Office of Management and
Budget;
(E) the United States Digital Service;
(F) Executive Order 12862 (31 U.S.C. 501 note;
relating to setting customer service standards) and
Executive Order 13571 (76 Fed. Reg. 24339; relating to
streamlining service delivery and improving customer
service);
(G) efforts of the executive branch as of the date
of enactment of this Act, including--
(i) Section 280 of Circular A11 Part 6
(2021) of the Office of Management and Budget;
and
(ii) the establishment of dedicated
individuals at the Office of Management and
Budget to work on cross-agency customer
experience initiatives and information
collection reviews;
(H) the designation of high-impact service
providers and the sharing of feedback performance data,
customer experience capacity assessments, and customer
experience action plans on a dedicated website;
(I) individual agencies that are early adopters of
customer experience approaches, including the Veterans
Experience Office of the Department of Veterans
Affairs; and
(J) legislation, including--
(i) the Digital Accountability and
Transparency Act of 2014 (31 U.S.C. 6101 note);
(ii) the 21st Century Integrated Digital
Experience Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 note); and
(iii) pending legislation.
(10) With respect to communication, agencies have both a
constitutional duty and an operational imperative to better
communicate how those agencies serve the public, including
through stories of human-level impact, compelling design, and
interactive platforms that make the public feel valued and
included, particularly if agencies work in counterintuitive,
preventative, or subtle ways.
(11) A push towards open government, in particular through
data.gov, performance.gov, challenge.gov, and other
transparency efforts, are vital steps to improving public
confidence and decision-making and service delivery.
Additionally, open data is a vital service for the public that
researchers, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and the
public alike can use to innovate, promote economic growth, and
take an active role in improving communities alongside the
Federal Government.
(12) But open government is not enough. To truly nourish a
debate about the achievements and role of the Federal
Government, rather than simply making information available,
agencies must communicate their mandates, performance, and data
in a manner that ensures that the public understands the
broader context in which those agencies operate and the real-
world impact of those agencies.
(13) In performing the tasks described in paragraph (12),
the Federal Government has broad latitude to communicate to the
public in tailored, creative, and compelling ways. Provisions
in annual appropriations Acts typically bar agencies from
engaging in impermissible publicity or propaganda. Although
those provisions prohibit agencies from engaging in self-
aggrandizement, covert propaganda and purely partisan
communications, those provisions do not restrict agencies from
engaging in legitimate activities to inform the public about
agency programs. Full compliance with those provisions presents
no bar for an agency to fully implement the activities
authorized and encouraged in this Act. As necessary, agencies
may seek decisions and informal technical assistance from the
Comptroller General of the United States concerning the
applicability of prohibitions against publicity or propaganda.
(14) USA.gov and other-Government wide platforms, such as
login.gov, have the potential to become interactive,
personalized, and compelling portals to the Federal Government
and enable the public to both address its needs, learn about
the myriad ways in which the Federal Government improves the
lives of the public, and develop a greater sense of pride in
the Federal Government. However, the current incarnations of
Government-wide communication platforms fall well short of this
vision.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
Is it the sense of Congress that--
(1) agencies must--
(A) continue to develop customer-centered mindsets
as a means to providing high-quality, responsive,
inclusive, reliable, transparent, empathetic,
courteous, and efficient services to the people of the
United States; and
(B) use public feedback and human-centered design
practices to continually improve services;
(2) all agency interaction with the public must be seen as
an invaluable opportunity to strengthen the bond of trust
between the people of the United States and the Federal
Government as a whole;
(3) to this end, the Federal Government must--
(A) adopt a whole-of-Government, integrated, and
enterprise approach to service delivery;
(B) build out the technical capacity of the Federal
Government, as has been done with the establishment of
the United States Digital Service and the Technology
Transformation Service of the General Services
Administration, that creates a strategy,
accountability, and performance framework for
identifying and defining experiences and managing
improvements across agency delivery systems;
(C) enhance customer experience based on an
understanding of true needs of the public, rather
solely on individual agency or program mandates;
(D) identify ambitious agency and Government-wide
customer experience priorities;
(E) develop consistent approaches to customer
experience across the Federal Government, as
consistency is central to building Government-wide
trust; and
(F) mobilize resources to support the Chief of
Staffs, Chief Operating Officers, or equivalent
officials, of agencies and hold those officials
accountable for customer experience through
statutorily-established councils, such as the
Performance Improvement Council, the Chief Information
Officers Council, the Chief Data Officers Council, the
Evaluation Officer Council, the Chief Human Capital
Officers Council, and the President's Management
Council;
(4) while the imperative to improve customer experience
particularly applies to high-impact service providers, which
have frequent interaction with the public or high profiles, all
agencies, no matter the scope of the mission of an agency or
the manner in which an agency works, have an obligation and
opportunity to proactively and effectively communicate how
those agencies serve the public as a means towards increasing
responsiveness and contributing to public trust in the Federal
Government;
(5) to understand if information is effectively
communicated by agencies, agency communication must be tailored
to ensure the public receives and understands information
through--
(A) human-level stories;
(B) proactive outreach;
(C) modern design, including multimedia;
(D) opportunities for public participation; and
(E) feedback and testing;
(6) to inspire Federal employees and contractors to serve
the public in a responsive, creative, and professional manner,
agencies must improve employee engagement, including by--
(A) regularly soliciting and responding to employee
feedback and improving internal agency services, such
as human resources and information technology; and
(B) using human-centered design practices; and
(7) similarly, when agencies provide information or
services to each other, these interactions should be
characterized by effectiveness, ease, and responsiveness to
help enable fellow agencies to provide the public with high-
quality customer experience.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Agency; customer experience; employee engagement;
federal customer; federal employee; high-impact service
provider; voluntary customer feedback.--The terms ``agency'',
``customer experience'', ``employee engagement'', ``Federal
customer'', ``Federal employee'', ``high-impact service
provider'', and ``voluntary customer feedback'' have the
meaning given those terms in section 321 of title 5, United
States Code, as added by this Act.
(2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the Office of Management and Budget.
(3) Propaganda and publicity.--The term ``propaganda and
publicity'' means information produced and disseminated by an
agency that is--
(A) self-aggrandizing or seeks to inflate the
reputation of an official;
(B) a covert communication in which the agency does
not disclose that the agency is the source of the
communication; or
(C) purely partisan in nature.
SEC. 5. ELEVATING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT WITHIN
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
(a) Requirements for Customer Experience, Public Communication, and
Employee Engagement.--
(1) In general.--Chapter 3 of title 5, United States Code,
is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Subchapter III--Federal Customer Experience
``Sec. 321. Definitions
``In this subchapter:
``(1) Agency.--The term `agency'--
``(A) has the meaning give the term in section
306(f); and
``(B) includes the United States Postal Service.
``(2) Customer experience.--The term `customer
experience'--
``(A) means the ways in which the Federal
Government and agencies consider Federal customers at
the center of the decision making process, including
by--
``(i) understanding needs from the
perspective of a Federal customer;
``(ii) considering the entire journey of a
Federal customer, instead of simply the point
of service;
``(iii) soliciting and considering
voluntary customer feedback; and
``(iv) measuring performance; and
``(B) includes a consideration of the factors
within any interaction between a Federal customer and
an agency, or between agencies, including, with respect
to the interaction--
``(i) ease;
``(ii) effectiveness;
``(iii) emotional effect;
``(iv) perception or trust;
``(v) Federal employee interaction; and
``(vi) any other factor that impacts the
overall trust, satisfaction, and confidence of
the customer in a program, an agency, or the
Federal Government as a whole.
``(3) Director.--The term `Director' means the Director of
the Office of Management and Budget.
``(4) Employee engagement.--The term `employee engagement'
means--
``(A) the heightened sense of commitment of a
Federal employee or contractor to the agency for which
the Federal employee works or the contractor performs
services and the Federal customers served by the
Federal employee or contractor that results in a more
efficient, effective, creative, or courteous outcome;
and
``(B) the extent to which a Federal employee or
contractor--
``(i) finds personal meaning and pride in
the work of the Federal employee or contractor;
and
``(ii) with respect to the agency served by
the Federal employee or contractor, feels--
``(I) a sense of belonging in the
culture of work of the agency;
``(II) valued by the agency and the
public; and
``(III) that the agency regularly
considers and is responsive to feedback
and human-centered design insights from
the Federal employee or contractor.
``(5) Federal customer.--The term `Federal customer'--
``(A) means--
``(i) a member of the public of the United
States; and
``(ii) an entity that is directly impacted
by the Federal Government, including--
``(I) member of the public of the
United States, a business, an
organization, or an agency of a State
or unit of local government, Tribal, or
territorial that interacts with an
agency or Federal program--
``(aa) directly;
``(bb) through a Federal
contractor; or
``(cc) through a federally
funded program;
``(II) an applicant for a Federal
job, a Federal employee, a contractor,
or a volunteer of the Federal
Government that interacts with an
agency or an internal process of an
agency, including--
``(aa) hiring;
``(bb) on-boarding;
``(cc) human resources;
``(dd) information
technology services; and
``(ee) efforts to improve
agency performance, including
by suggesting process
improvements or reporting
fraud, waste, or abuse;
``(III) an agency that relies on
another agency for information or
services; and
``(IV) the recipient of a Federal
award, including a contract, grant, or
loan.
``(6) Federal employee.--The term `Federal employee' has
the meaning given the term `employee' in section 2105 of title
5, United States Code.
``(7) High-impact service provider.--The term `high-impact
service provider' means an agency or a component of an agency
designated as a high-impact service provider in guidance issued
by the Director under section 323(b)(4).
``(8) Human-centered design.--The term `human-centered
design' means an approach towards designing interactive
systems, processes, products, services, or information that
aims to make those systems, processes, products, services, or
information more usable and useful by--
``(A) focusing on the users of the systems,
processes, or information and the needs and
requirements of those users; and
``(B) applying knowledge of human factors and
learning from human feedback and interactions with
similar systems, processes, or information.
``(9) Voluntary customer feedback.--The term `voluntary
customer feedback' means the submission of information, an
opinion, appreciation, or a concern by a Federal customer
following an interaction with an agency that is--
``(A) solicited by the agency and identified as
voluntary in the solicitation; and
``(B) voluntarily made by the Federal customer
relating to the particular service of, or interaction
with, the agency.
``Sec. 322. Agency requirements
``(a) In General.--The head of each agency, in order to effectively
pursue the mission of the agency, shall develop a high-quality customer
experience by--
``(1) allocating sufficient resources to and prioritizing--
``(A) customer experience capabilities; and
``(B) initiatives that may cut across budget
accounts or program activities;
``(2) requesting and drawing on new expertise and tools
relating to customer experience;
``(3) adapting Government-wide and global good practices
relating to customer experience;
``(4) ensuring that the process of each agency for
soliciting voluntary customer feedback is as streamlined as
possible and requires limited internal review if the collection
is within the scope of the guidance provided by the Director;
``(5) making use of customer experience resources of the
Federal Government; and
``(6) using human-centered design practices.
``(b) Tools.--The head of each agency shall--
``(1) develop and use tools to--
``(A) experiment with different approaches to
improve customer experience; and
``(B) collect qualitative and quantitative data on
customer experience as Federal customers engage with
the agency in a routine, flexible manner, including
through human-centered design practices;
``(2) ensure the tools developed under paragraph (1) ensure
the privacy of Federal customers;
``(3) use the data collected under paragraph (1)(B) to
continually improve customer experience and agency performance;
and
``(4) share the data collected under paragraph (1)(B) with
research entities to allow for external analysis.
``(c) Voluntary Customer Feedback.--
``(1) In general.--The head of each agency shall, as
appropriate, solicit voluntary customer feedback from Federal
customers.
``(2) Assistance.--
``(A) In general.--The Director shall assist the
heads of agencies in carrying out paragraph (1) by--
``(i) ensuring that the process for
agencies to submit voluntary customer feedback
surveys for approval is as clear and
streamlined as possible; and
``(ii) assisting the heads of agencies in
collaborating with other agencies and State,
local, Tribal, and territorial governments to
understand and respond to the needs of Federal
customers--
``(I) from the perspectives of
those customers; and
``(II) not solely from the
perspective of the mandates of the
agency.
``(B) Example.--An example of a situation in which
the Director shall assist heads of agencies under
subparagraph (A)(ii)(II) is when an opportunity for
cross-agency collaboration exists that meets the
demonstrated interest of the public of the United
States.
``(3) Requirements.--With respect to any voluntary customer
feedback solicited by the head of an agency, the head of the
agency--
``(A) may not use the voluntary customer feedback
as a basis to provide a Federal customer with inferior
service; and
``(B) shall consider privacy concerns and, as
appropriate, anonymize the voluntary customer feedback
to--
``(i) allow for candid feedback; and
``(ii) protect privacy.
``(d) Agency Communication Responsibilities.--
``(1) Public understanding.--The head of each agency shall
seek to--
``(A) increase public understanding of the mandate
of the agency, including the statutes under which the
agency operates and from which the agency derives the
mission of the agency;
``(B) provide the public with historical and
broader context of programs, policies, context, and
achievements of the agency, including human level
stories of the impact of the agency;
``(C) employ shared design solutions, effective
human-centered design practices, modern design tools,
interactive platforms, and innovative participation
methods to engage the public in the policy process of
the agency; and
``(D) tailor the content and format of
communications of the agency based on regional or
demographic considerations and human-centered design
practices.
``(2) Tools.--The head of each agency shall develop and use
tools to understand the progress of the agency towards
achieving the requirements under paragraph (1), including--
``(A) testing;
``(B) feedback;
``(C) focus groups;
``(D) public participation; and
``(E) human-centered design practices and co-design
processes.
``(e) Agency Consultation.--
``(1) In general.--Not less frequently than annually, the
head of each agency shall consult with the agencies or offices
described in section 323(c)(1) to ensure that the customer
experience and communications approaches of the agency--
``(A) are engaging and interactive;
``(B) incorporate good practices from the private
sector and human-centered design; and
``(C) employ cutting edge digital tools, including
application programming interfaces and social media and
digital experiences.
``(2) Historical perspectives.--Not less frequently than
annually, the head of each agency shall consult with the
National Archives and Records Administration, the Library of
Congress, or the historians of other relevant entities to
obtain advice and multimedia content relating to the historical
performance of the agency that can be used to provide context
on the origins and roles of the agency throughout history,
including human level stories of the impact of the agency.
``Sec. 323. OMB Customer experience guidance
``(a) In General.--
``(1) Guidance.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of the Trust in Public Service Act, the Director
shall issue the guidance described in subsection (b) for--
``(A) agencies; and
``(B) components of agencies, as appropriate.
``(2) Format.--The Director may issue the guidance required
under paragraph (1) in a format chosen by the Director, which
may include Circular A-11 of the Office of Management and
Budget.
``(b) Contents.--The guidance described in this subsection is as
follows:
``(1) Guidance consistent with this subchapter to assist
agencies in achieving high-quality customer experience and
continually improving service delivery across the Federal
Government.
``(2) Guidance that requires an agency or component of an
agency to include principles of customer experience in--
``(A) standard operating procedures of the agency
or component of the agency;
``(B) rules (as defined in section 551 of title 5,
United States Code) issued by the agency or component
of the agency; and
``(C) similar documents of the agency or component
of the agency.
``(3) Guidance that--
``(A) requires an agency to communicate the impact
of programs of the agency to the public, including
through communication that--
``(i) is human-centered, including
multimedia and good design;
``(ii) uses stories of human impact;
``(iii) allows for the public to contribute
personal accounts;
``(iv) is participatory in nature; and
``(v) is tailored to regional or
demographic considerations; and
``(B) reminds agencies that, although provisions of
annual appropriations Acts typically bar agencies from
engaging in impermissible publicity or propaganda,
including self-aggrandizement, covert propaganda, and
purely partisan communications, those provisions do not
restrict agencies from engaging in legitimate
activities to inform the public about agency programs
through a communication described in subparagraph (A).
``(4) Guidance in which the Director designates certain
agencies or components of agencies as high-impact service
providers based on the following considerations:
``(A) Whether an agency or component has a large
base of Federal customers served by the agency or
component.
``(B) Whether an agency or component has a high
impact on Federal customers served by the agency or
component.
``(C) Whether, with respect to an agency or
component, the public exchanges time, money, or
information with the agency or component to receive a
good, service, or authorization.
``(D) Whether agencies or components have high-
profile Federal customer-facing services, regulatory
functions, or informational roles, including operating
websites or communication portals of the Federal
Government, such as usa.gov.
``(E) Other agencies or components, based on
factors that give the agency or component an ability to
positively or negatively influence the public
perception of the Federal Government.
``(5) Guidance that, with respect to high-impact service
providers--
``(A) establishes service standards, as
appropriate;
``(B) emphasizes resources, expectations, and good
practices, including the use of human-centered design;
and
``(C) requires high-impact service providers to
publicly commit to, and report on, Federal customer
experience standards, as appropriate.
``(6) Guidance that, with respect to agencies or components
of agencies that are not high-impact service providers--
``(A) highlights that those agencies and components
have an obligation to find creative means to inform the
public about the ways in which those agencies or
components serve the public; and
``(B) emphasizes expectations, resources, and good
practices, including the use of human-centered design,
for those agencies and components, including maximizing
the contribution of the agency or component to overall
trust in the Federal Government.
``(7) Guidance that, with respect to voluntary customer
feedback--
``(A) provides agencies with best practices,
templates, and standards for collecting qualitative and
quantitative data relating to Government-wide customer
experience and voluntary customer feedback;
``(B) enables cross-agency benchmarking and the
improvement of customer experience; and
``(C) includes--
``(i) guidelines and support for user data
collected from websites and forms relating to
customer experience, including visits, task
completion rates, time taken, drop out points,
and other relevant areas; and
``(ii) guidance on voluntary customer
feedback data collection relating to user
comprehension and satisfaction, including
guidance for how agencies should communicate
the purpose of a data collection request and
how the agency uses voluntary customer feedback
to influence the policy and programs of the
agency.
``(8) Guidance that identifies any privacy risks to Federal
customers and how those risks and mitigation measures for those
risks should be communicated to the public.
``(9) Guidance that clearly explains the process by which
agencies and components of agencies shall solicit voluntary
customer feedback and other learning and feedback tools, such
as focus groups and usability testing, which shall--
``(A) balance--
``(i) quality control and risk management
relating to the solicitation of voluntary
customer feedback; and
``(ii) reducing unnecessary delay or
burdens on agencies and components of agencies
that inhibit or slow the solicitation of
voluntary customer feedback; and
``(B) outline a streamlined process for agencies
and components of agencies that demonstrate the
capability to design and conduct high-quality Federal
customer surveys or other capabilities that--
``(i) may include--
``(I) blanket approvals; and
``(II) waivers; and
``(ii) does not require re-approval for
minimal changes.
``(10) Guidance that requires Government-wide employee
engagement, including--
``(A) the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey of the
Office of Personnel Management;
``(B) as appropriate, the collection of additional,
real-time voluntary qualitative and quantitative
feedback from Federal employees; and
``(C) the development of an explicit employee
engagement measure by the Director of the Office of
Personnel Management that aligns with existing public
sector employee engagement measures.
``(11) Guidance that includes best practices on the
appropriate use of metrics by agencies that--
``(A) promotes true improvement and learning and
the right incentives for Federal employees and the
leadership of agencies; and
``(B) in order to avoid metrics that create
perverse incentives, clarifies that certain customer
experience or employee engagement measures should not
be used for adverse personnel actions or promotion.
``(c) Collaboration.--
``(1) In general.--In developing the guidance issued under
subsection (a), the Director shall collaborate with--
``(A) the Administrator of General Services with
respect to customer experience good practices,
including the use of human-centered design, data
collection and use, usability testing, evaluation
science, behavioral science, human-centered design, the
use of agency websites and digital communication tools,
and personnel support;
``(B) the Director of the Office of Personnel
Management with respect to--
``(i) employee engagement;
``(ii) hiring authorities for recruiting
subject matter experts; and
``(iii) developing a customer experience-
oriented workforce;
``(C) the Administrator of the United States
Digital Service with respect to personnel, human-
centered design, digital experience good practices, and
innovation;
``(D) the Office of Information and Regulatory
Affairs and the Office of the Federal Chief Information
Officer of the Office of Management and Budget with
respect to--
``(i) providing technical assistance in
Government-wide data collection; and
``(ii) balancing--
``(I) the quality control of agency
data collection requests; and
``(II) reducing unnecessary delay
or burdens on agencies, particularly
with voluntary customer feedback and
focus groups;
``(E) the Office of Science and Technology Policy
with respect to good practices in behavioral sciences
and human-centered design;
``(F) the National Archives and Records
Administration and the Library of Congress with respect
to historical context, multimedia, and stories of
agency achievement throughout history; and
``(G) any other entity determined appropriate by
the Director.
``(2) Support.--In collaborating with the entities
described in paragraph (1), the Director shall ensure that
those entities have sufficient resources to carry out the
collaboration.
``(d) Updates.--Not later than 1 year after the date on which
guidance is issued under subsection (a), and annually thereafter, the
Director shall update the guidance.''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections for chapter
3, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``subchapter iii--federal customer experience
``321. Definitions.
``322. Agency requirements.
``323. OMB Customer experience guidance.''.
SEC. 6. RECOGNIZING EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE AND EARLY ADOPTERS.
(a) Establishment.--The Director may establish 1 or more programs
that, on an annual basis, recognize individuals and teams across the
Federal workforce, the dedication of which supports--
(1) the early adoption of innovative customer experience
tools or human-centered design practices by an agency to
improve--
(A) performance;
(B) customer experience; or
(C) public communication; or
(2) the exceptional delivery by an agency of--
(A) results that aligns with the mission of the
agency;
(B) customer experience;
(C) public communication; and
(D) the accountable stewardship of resources.
(b) Public Participation.--A program established under subsection
(a) may involve a mechanism to foster participation in the recognition
efforts of the program by--
(1) members of the general public;
(2) Federal employees; and
(3) members of Congress or congressional committees.
(c) Public Communication.--A program established under subsection
(a) may include year-round and interactive public communication efforts
to ensure that the achievements of individuals and teams recognized by
the program are communicated to the public in a manner that--
(1) is compelling;
(2) is tailored to regional and demographic considerations;
and
(3) emphasizes the breadth and scope of ongoing and
exceptional efforts of the Federal Government to serve the
public.
SEC. 7. INTEGRATING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE INTO TITLES 5 AND 31.
(a) Title 5 Amendments.--
(1) Agency strategic plans.--Section 306 of title 5, United
States Code, is amended--
(A) in subsection (a)--
(i) in paragraph (8)--
(I) by inserting ``and agency
customer feedback data'' after ``the
program evaluations''; and
(II) by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(ii) in paragraph (9)(F), by striking the
period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(10) a description of how the goals and objectives of the
agency contribute to improved customer experience and public
confidence in the agency.''; and
(B) in subsection (f)--
(i) by striking ``section the term'' and
inserting ``section--
``(1) the term'';
(ii) in paragraph (1), as so designated, by
striking the period at the end and inserting a
semi colon; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) the term `agency customer' means a Federal customer
of an agency; and
``(3) the term `customer experience' and `Federal customer'
have the meanings given those terms in section 321.''.
(2) Agency evidence-building plan.--Section 312(a) of title
5, United States Code, is amended--
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by
inserting ``customer experience (as defined in section
321),'' before ``and regulations''; and
(B) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``and improve
customer experience (as defined in section 321)'' after
``support policymaking''.
(3) Functions of the director of the office of personnel
management.--Section 1103(c)(2) of title 5, United States Code,
is amended--
(A) in subparagraph (A)--
(i) in clause (i), by striking ``and'' at
the end;
(ii) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause
(iii); and
(iii) by inserting after clause (i) the
following:
``(ii) ensuring employee engagement (as defined in section
321) is a central component of the strategy and priorities of
those agencies; and''; and
(B) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ``and leads
to high-quality customer experience (as defined in
section 321)'' after ``workforce''.
(b) Title 31 Amendments.--
(1) Federal government and agency performance plans.--
(A) In general.--Section 1115 of title 31, United
States Code, is amended--
(i) in subsection (a)--
(I) in paragraph (5), by striking
``and'' at the end;
(II) in paragraph (6)--
(aa) by inserting ``,
including factors that make it
more difficult for agencies to
learn through voluntary
customer feedback, testing,
focus groups, human-centered
design practices, or otherwise
foster active public
participation in Government,''
after ``in nature''; and
(bb) by striking the period
at the end and inserting ``;
and''; and
(III) by adding at the end the
following:
``(7) identify entities, which shall include the Office of
Management and Budget and the entities listed in section
323(c)(1) of title 5, with mission support and coordination
functions to enable other agencies to improve customer
experience and employee engagement and request sufficient
budgets.'';
(ii) in subsection (b)--
(I) in paragraph (1), by inserting
``, which shall include at least 1
performance goal related to customer
experience'' after ``next fiscal
year'';
(II) in paragraph (5)(A), by
inserting ``, including overall
employee engagement considerations,
which shall include soliciting and
responding to feedback from employees''
after ``performance goals'';
(III) in paragraph (6), by striking
``customer service'' and inserting
``customer experience'';
(IV) by redesignating paragraphs
(9) and (10) as paragraphs (10) and
(11), respectively; and
(V) by inserting after paragraph
(8) the following:
``(9) describe customer experience opportunities and
challenges facing the agency and identify--
``(A) key interaction points between the agency and
the public;
``(B) Federal customer needs in relation to the
overall agency mission, which may draw from reporting
required under section 1116;
``(C) capabilities, resources, tradeoffs,
constraints, and risks related to customer experience;
and
``(D) the linkage between customer experience and
employee engagement, including--
``(i) cultural strengths and weakness among
the workforce that either enable high-quality
customer experience or render high-quality
customer experience difficult;
``(ii) capability, resource, or statutory
challenges, tradeoffs, constraints, or risks
related to employee engagement; and
``(iii) the voice of employees and the
extent to which agencies regularly solicit,
consider, and respond to employee feedback;'';
(iii) by redesignating subsection (h) as
subsection (i);
(iv) by inserting after subsection (g) the
following:
``(h) Agencies and components of agencies, particularly high-impact
service providers (as defined in section 321 of title 5), are
encouraged to develop more detailed customer experience action plans in
coordination with the Office of Management and Budget.''; and
(v) in subsection (i), as so redesignated,
by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the
following:
``(3) `customer experience', the term `employee
engagement', and the term `Federal customer' have the meanings
given such terms in section 321 of title 5;''.
(B) Technical and conforming amendments.--
(i) Section 1122(a)(1)(D) of title 31,
United States Code, is amended by striking
``section 1115(h)'' and inserting ``section
1115''.
(ii) Section 6401(2)(A) of title 31, United
States Code, is amended by striking ``section
1115(h)'' and inserting ``section 1115''.
(2) Agency performance reporting.--Section 1116(a) of title
31, United States Code, is amended by inserting ``, which shall
include customer experience as a central component'' after
``performance''.
(3) Federal government and agency priority goals.--Section
1120(a)(1)(B) of title 31, United States Code, is amended--
(A) in clause (iv), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(B) in clause (v), by adding ``and'' at the end;
and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(vi) customer experience.''.
(4) Transparency of programs, priority goals, and
results.--Section 1122(c) of title 31, United States Code, is
amended--
(A) in paragraph (8), by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(B) in paragraph (9), by striking the period at the
end and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(10) an assessment of overall trust in the Federal
Government and customer experience, including an assessment
of--
``(A) agency and sector-specific (such as health)
considerations, progress, and achievements;
``(B) shortcomings and where more progress must be
made;
``(C) external constraints; and
``(D) human-level case studies of high
performance.''.
SEC. 8. ADEQUATELY RESOURCING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND EMPLOYEE
ENGAGEMENT.
(a) Including Customer Experience in Federal Citizen Services
Fund.--
(1) In general.--Section 323 of title 40, United States
Code, is amended--
(A) by striking the section heading and inserting
``Federal Citizen Services Fund''; and
(B) in subsection (a), by striking ``purpose of''
and all that follows and inserting ``purpose of--
``(1) disseminating Federal Government information to the
public;
``(2) improving--
``(A) customer experience (as defined in section
321 of title 5);
``(B) mechanisms for public participation in the
Federal Government; and
``(C) communication of the Federal Government to
the public, including tailored messaging and human-
centered stories of the impact of the Federal
Government, including through human-centered design
practices; and
``(3) other related purposes.''.
(2) Conforming amendment.--The table of sections for
chapter 3 of title 40, United States Code, is amended by
striking the item relating to section 323 and inserting the
following:
``323. Federal Citizen Services Fund.''.
(b) OMB Transfer Authority.--
(1) In general.--With the approval of the Director, the
head of an agency may transfer funds available to the agency
from appropriations to finance customer experience activities.
(2) Amount.--The amounts transferred by the head of an
agency under paragraph (1) may not exceed $10,000,000 in a
fiscal year.
(3) Aggregate limitation.--The total amount of transfers
approved by the Director under paragraph (1) may not exceed
$50,000,000 in a fiscal year.
(4) Notification.--Not later than 30 days before the date
on which the head of an agency executes a transfer authorized
under paragraph (1), the head of the agency shall notify the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
(5) Sunset.--The authority to make a transfer under this
subsection shall terminate on September 30, 2026.
SEC. 9. CHIEF CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE OFFICER OF THE UNITED STATES.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 30 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall establish the Office of
Customer Experience.
(b) Chief Customer Experience Officer.--The Office of Customer
Experience shall be led by the Chief Customer Experience Officer of the
United States, who shall be appointed by the Director.
(c) Qualifications.--The Chief Customer Experience Officer of the
United States shall have demonstrated training and experience in--
(1) complex inter-organizational coordination;
(2) management;
(3) establishing customer experience programs within
service delivery organizations;
(4) customer experience disciplines, such as product
management, understanding the true needs of customers,
experience and perception measurement, and human-centered
design research;
(5) employee engagement; and
(6) public communications or marketing.
(d) Functions.--The Chief Customer Experience Officer of the United
States shall--
(1) serve as a voice for the public within senior level
interagency policy processes, including by--
(A) advocating for the means to solicit and respond
to public feedback and human-centered design insights
to inform program and service design and delivery;
(B) enhancing public participation in the planning,
execution, and evaluation of agency programs; and
(C) providing the public with timely and compelling
communication about the impact of the policy and
programs of the Federal Government that is tailored to
regional or demographic considerations;
(2) serve as the chief official responsible for improving
public trust in the Federal Government, including by, in
consultation with the heads of agencies--
(A) establishing ambitious Government-wide, sector-
specific (such as health), and agency targets; and
(B) identifying Government-wide focal points,
including call centers, and agency and Government-wide
public websites using human-centered design practices;
(3) in collaboration with the Deputy Director for
Management--
(A) establish priorities, goals, and targets that
are cross-agency, sector-specific (such as health),
experience-specific (such as retirement), Government-
wide, and agency-specific;
(B) assess needs and opportunities to improve
customer experience; and
(C) convene Chief Operating Officers, or equivalent
officials, of agencies through meetings of the
President's Management Council, or similar means to--
(i) align resources with priorities;
(ii) assign responsibility; and
(iii) ensure accountability;
(4) in collaboration with the heads of the agencies listed
in section 323(c)(1) of title 5, United States Code--
(A) develop a Government-wide service delivery
strategy to serve as a focal point for the public and
include customer service standards in the strategy, as
appropriate;
(B) capture and develop Government-wide and sector-
specific best practices for--
(i) customer experience;
(ii) employee engagement;
(iii) design of websites and interactive
portals, online forms, social media, and other
digital platforms of agencies; and
(iv) communication;
(C) encourage cross-agency efforts relating to
improving customer experience; and
(D) pilot and implement innovative technologies and
strategies from human-centered design to improve
customer experience;
(5) identify--
(A) life moments of Federal Government customers in
which agencies have a role; and
(B) other key focal points or interactions that are
particularly salient for interaction of the public with
the Federal Government;
(6) in collaboration with the heads of agencies and State
and municipal governments, develop innovative and collaborative
means to improve how the Federal Government meets the current
and future needs of the public;
(7) develop a framework to help agencies accurately assess
the true costs, benefits, and costs of inaction with respect to
improving customer experience, taking into account the many
benefits of improved public engagement, including receiving
more accurate and timely public data inputs; and
(8) in collaboration with the heads of relevant agencies,
develop good practices on customer experience and employee
engagement, including through engagement and dialogue with
advocacy groups, private sector organizations, and foreign
government officials.
SEC. 10. INTEGRATING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE INTO THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF
KEY AGENCY OFFICIALS.
(a) Performance Improvement Officers and the Performance
Improvement Council.--Section 1124 of title 31, United States Code, is
amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(2)--
(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) through (F)
as subparagraphs (C) through (G), respectively;
(B) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the
following:
``(B) in consultation with agency staff responsible
for customer experience and communications, advise the
head of the agency and the Chief Operating Officer, or
an equivalent official, on the agency contribution to
public trust in Government, including through customer
experience, mechanisms for public participation in
Government, and communication with the public on agency
performance, consistent with subparagraph (G);'';
(C) in subparagraph (D), as so redesignated, by
inserting ``, with an emphasis on customer experience''
before the semicolon;
(D) in subparagraph (E), as so redesignated, by
inserting ``and soliciting voluntary customer
experience feedback'' after ``agency performance'';
(E) in subparagraph (F), as so redesignated, by
striking ``and'' at the end;
(F) in subparagraph (G), as so redesignated, by
striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and'';
and
(G) by adding at the end the following:
``(H) in collaboration with other relevant
officials, revise and update the website of the agency
and develop and implement proactive public outreach
strategies that emphasize human-level stories of
impact, geographic or demographic considerations of the
target audience, and human centered design, in
collaboration with other agency officials and support
agencies, including the United States Digital Service
and the General Services Administration.''; and
(2) in subsection (b)(2)--
(A) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``,
especially related to customer experience'' before the
semicolon;
(B) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ``especially
customer experience, and barriers to developing and
enhancing public trust in Government,'' after
``performance issues,''; and
(C) in subparagraph (H) by inserting ``and customer
experience'' after ``performance improvement
experiences''.
(b) Agency Chief Human Capital Officers.--Section 1401(1) of title
5, United States Code, is amended by inserting ``, with an emphasis on
enhancing employee engagement (as defined in section 321)'' before the
semicolon.
(c) Authorities and Functions of Chief Human Capital Officers.--
Section 1402(a)(4) of title 5, United States Code, is amended to read
as follows:
``(4) the hiring and performance management authorities for
developing and advocating a culture of continuous learning and
employee engagement (as defined in section 321) to attract and
retain employees with superior abilities, motivation, and pride
in their work who will contribute to overall agency performance
and customer experience (as defined in section 321), which
shall be delegated to the Chief Human Capital Officer by the
Director of the Office of Personnel Management;''.
(d) Chief Information Officer Authorities.--Section 11319(d)(1) of
title 40, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (C), (D), (E), (F), (G),
and (H) as subparagraphs (D), (E), (F), (G), (H), and (I),
respectively; and
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:
``(C) to improve customer experience (as defined in
section 321 of title 5) through targeted information
technology improvement and analytics;''.
(e) Program Management Improvement Officer and Program Management
Policy Council.--Section 1126 of title 31, United States Code, is
amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(2)(B)--
(A) in clause (i)--
(i) in subclause (I), by striking ``and''
at the end;
(ii) in subclause (II), by striking the
period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(III) training that emphasizes
customer experience.''; and
(B) in clause (iii), by striking ``career paths and
career'' and inserting ``employee engagement, career
paths, and career''; and
(2) in subsection (b)(2)(C)--
(A) in clause (i), by striking ``career development
and'' and inserting ``employee engagement, career
development, and''; and
(B) in clause (ii), by inserting ``, including
customer experience'' after ``project management''.
(f) Chief Data Officers and Chief Data Officer Council.--
(1) Chief data officers.--Section 3520(c) of title 44,
United States Code, is amended--
(A) in paragraph (7), by inserting ``, including
data use relating to customer experience and employee
engagement'' after ``data use''; and
(B) in paragraph (12), by inserting ``, including
data use relating to customer experience and employee
engagement'' after ``data use''.
(2) Chief data officer council.--Section 3520A(b)(3) of
title 44, United States Code, is amended by inserting ``,
including policymaking relating to customer experience and
employee engagement'' after ``policymaking''.
SEC. 11. CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE OFFICERS FOR AGENCY COMPONENTS.
(a) Designation.--
(1) In general.--The head of an agency may designate 1 or
more Lead Customer Experience Officers for a component of the
agency that presents significant customer experience
opportunities or challenges.
(2) High-impact service providers.--It is the sense of
Congress that, the head of an agency that is a high-impact
service provider should make a designation under paragraph (1).
(3) Qualifications.--A Lead Customer Experience Officer of
a component of an agency designated under paragraph (1) shall
have demonstrated training and experience in--
(A) agency leadership;
(B) management;
(C) policy;
(D) customer experience;
(E) employee engagement;
(F) digital experience;
(G) public communications; or
(H) marketing.
(b) Functions.--The Lead Customer Experience Officer of a component
of an agency shall--
(1) report directly to the head of the component or the
deputy head of the agency;
(2) be included in the budget formulation process of the
component;
(3) recommend modifications to policies of agencies to
incorporate customer experience as an essential priority,
including--
(A) rules (as defined in section 551 of title 5,
United States Code); and
(B) any other relevant policies;
(4) issue directives, guidance, or policies for the
component on customer experience that articulate how strategy
and mission link to customer experience management and
outcomes;
(5) participate in agency peer-learning and sharing and
ensure that customer experience practices are informed by good
practices from the private sector or other agencies;
(6) in concert with agency-wide efforts and consistent with
guidance of the Office of Management and Budget, assess and
measure the overall public perceptions of the component;
(7) coordinate the development, resourcing, and
implementation of customer experience priorities;
(8) engage employees and contractors of the component in
customer experience and employee engagement, including through
process reforms, training, workshops, and other interventions
designed to shift the culture of the component to increasingly
focus on measuring customer experience and the outcomes that
the component produces, such as improved trust; and
(9) serve as the liaison of the component to other
components of the agency, other agencies, and the Office of
Management and Budget on improving customer experience and
trust in the Federal Government.
SEC. 12. PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT VOLUNTARY CUSTOMER FEEDBACK REFORM.
(a) Application of Paperwork Reduction Act to Collection of
Voluntary Feedback.--Subchapter I of chapter 35 of title 44, United
States Code (commonly known as the ``Paperwork Reduction Act''), is
amended--
(1) in section 3502--
(A) in paragraph (22), by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(B) in paragraph (23), by striking the period at
the end and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(24) the term `voluntary customer feedback' has the
meaning given the term in section 321 of title 5.''; and
(2) in section 3518(c)(1)--
(A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``or'' at the
end;
(B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at
the end and inserting ``; or''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(E) by an agency that is voluntary customer
feedback.''.
(b) Guidelines for Voluntary Customer Feedback.--Each agency that
solicits voluntary customer feedback shall ensure that--
(1) responses to the solicitation of voluntary customer
feedback remain anonymous and are not traced to specific
individuals or entities;
(2) individuals and entities who decline to participate in
the solicitation of voluntary customer feedback are not 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 proposed solicitation of voluntary customer
feedback will contribute to improved customer service;
(6) solicitations of voluntary customer feedback are
limited to 1 solicitation per interaction with an individual or
entity;
(7) to the extent practicable, the solicitation of
voluntary customer feedback is made at the point of service
with an individual or entity;
(8) instruments for collecting voluntary customer feedback
are 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
feedback from individuals and entities.
SEC. 13. EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATING AGENCY PERFORMANCE TO THE PUBLIC.
(a) 21st Century IDEA.--Section 6(4) of the 21st Century Integrated
Digital Experience Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 note) is amended--
(1) by striking ``customers, identify areas'' and inserting
``customers, identify--
``(A) areas'';
(2) in subparagraph (A), as so designated, by adding
``and'' at the end; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(B) opportunities to provide--
``(i) a more engaging customer experience
(as defined in section 321 of title 5, United
States Code) through human-level content, such
as stories of individual impact or multimedia
testimonials; and
``(ii) design improvements of websites and
interactive portals, online forms, social
media, and other digital platforms of agencies
and the Federal Government;''.
(b) USA.gov and Agency Websites.--
(1) E-government act of 2002.--The E-Government Act of 2002
(44 U.S.C. 3501 note) is amended--
(A) in section 204(a)--
(i) in paragraph (1)--
(I) by striking ``and promote an''
and inserting ``and promote--
``(A) an'';
(II) in subparagraph (A), as so
designated, by striking the period at
the end and inserting ``; and''; and
(III) by adding at the end the
following:
``(B) a well-designed interactive experience for
visitors to the Internet-based system maintained under
subparagraph (A) that--
``(i) is tailored to the needs of
individual visitors;
``(ii) includes context about the impact
and achievements of the Federal Government,
including human-level multimedia stories; and
``(iii) offers visitors an opportunity to
submit--
``(I) voluntary customer feedback,
as defined in section 321 of title 5,
United States Code; and
``(II) information about personal
experiences with the Federal Government
of visitors.''; and
(ii) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end
the following:
``(E) The inclusion of an interactive map of the
United States that--
``(i) allows visitors of the integrated
system to view the human-level impact of
programs and policies of agencies, tailored by
the geographic region and demographic profile
of the visitor; and
``(ii) links to the websites of agencies
and components of agencies in order for
visitors to obtain additional information.'';
and
(B) in section 207(f)(1)--
(i) in the matter preceding subparagraph
(A), by striking ``Not later than 2 years after
the effective date of this title'' and
inserting ``Not later than 2 years after the
date of enactment of the Trust in Public
Service Act'';
(ii) in subparagraph (A)--
(I) in clause (iii), by striking
``and'' at the end;
(II) in clause (iv), by striking
``and'' at the end; and
(III) by adding at the end the
following:
``(v) historical context and stories about
the impact and achievements of the agency; and
``(vi) human-level stories of the impact of
the agency, including multimedia testimonials
from the public;''; and
(iii) by striking subparagraph (B) and
inserting the following:
``(B) minimum agency goals to assist public users
to--
``(i) navigate agency websites, including--
``(I) the speed of retrieval of
search results;
``(II) the relevance of the
results;
``(III) tools to aggregate and
disaggregate data; and
``(IV) security protocols to
protect information; and
``(ii) efficiently and easily obtain
services of the agency and information to
better understand the mission and impact of the
agency and have an emotionally positive
experience while obtaining those services and
information, including--
``(I) measures to ensure the
customer experience (as defined in
section 321 of title 5, United States
Code), of public users, which may
include--
``(aa) task completion
rates;
``(bb) time taken to
complete a task;
``(cc) drop out points; and
``(dd) user comprehension
and satisfaction measurements;
``(II) visual presentations of
curated testimonials segmented by
geographic and demographic profiles;
and
``(III) functionality that allows
website visitors to submit voluntary
customer feedback (as defined in
section 321 of title 5, United States
Code) or personal testimonials through
text or multimedia functions; and
``(C) instructions for agencies to assess the
minimum agency goals described in subparagraph (B)
through testing, focus groups, and voluntary customer
feedback (as defined in section 321 of title 5, United
States Code)''.
(2) Agency reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date
of enactment of this Act, the head of each agency shall submit
to the Director a report on--
(A) any changes made to the website of the agency
and the digital experience of visitors to the website
of the agency in accordance with guidance issued under
section 207(f) of the E-Government Act of 2002 (44
U.S.C. 3501 note), as amended by this Act; and
(B) any collaboration or consultation relating to
the customer experience of the agency with an agency
described in section 323(c)(1) of title 5, United
States Code, as added by this Act.
(3) OMB report.--Not later than 30 days after the date on
which the Director receives the reports from the heads of
agencies under paragraph (2), the Director shall submit to
Congress a report summarizing those reports.
SEC. 14. PARTICIPATORY GOVERNMENT AND CIVIC DIALOGUE ADVISORY COUNCIL.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Council.--The term ``Council'' means the Participatory
Government and Civic Dialogue Advisory Council.
(2) State.--The term ``State'' means--
(A) a State;
(B) the District of Columbia;
(C) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; and
(D) any other territory or possession of the United
States.
(b) Establishment.--The Director, in coordination with the Chief
Customer Experience Officer of the United States appointed under
section 9(b), shall establish an advisory council to be known as the
``Participatory Government and Civic Dialogue Advisory Council'' for
the purpose of providing the recommendations described in subsection
(e).
(c) Membership.--
(1) In general.--The Council shall consist of 22 members
appointed by the Director, of whom--
(A) 4 shall be representatives of a nonprofit
organization or foundation;
(B) 4 shall be representatives of agencies who have
the responsibility to foster, or relevant experience in
fostering, public participation in the prioritization
of the policy, regulation, execution, or evaluation of
the Federal Government;
(C) 4 shall be representatives of a State, local,
Tribal, or territorial government;
(D) 4 shall be representatives of academic or
research institutions;
(E) 4 shall be representatives of businesses; and
(F) 2 shall be representatives of media
organizations.
(2) Geographic diversity.--The Director shall ensure that--
(A) the membership of the Council is geographically
diverse; and
(B) not more than 2 of the members described in
subparagraphs (A) through (E) of paragraph (1)
represent the same State.
(3) Terms; vacancies.--
(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (C), each
member of the Council shall be appointed for a term of
3 years.
(B) Term limits.--Members of the Council may be
appointed for not more than 2 consecutive terms.
(C) Initial terms.--The terms of the initial
members of the Council may be 1, 2, or 3 years in order
to establish a rotation in which the Director appoints
\1/3\ of the members of the Council each year.
(D) Vacancies.--Any member appointed to fill a
vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for
which the member's predecessor was appointed shall be
appointed only for the remainder of that term. A member
may serve after the expiration of that member's term
until a successor has taken office.
(d) Meetings.--The Director shall convene the Council not less
frequently than biannually.
(e) Duties.--The Council, on a continuous basis, shall provide to
the Director written recommendations, including any recommendations
relating to the 2-year plan required under subsection (h), that--
(1) focus on furthering a virtuous cycle in which
responsive political institutions foster a healthy civic
culture of participation and responsibility to ensure that
political institutions are responsive and inclusive;
(2) evaluate, and recommend improvements for, opportunities
for active and substantive public participation in the
prioritization, design, implementation, and evaluation of the
policies of the Federal Government in order to--
(A) enhance the quality of the policies of the
Federal Government; and
(B) increase the legitimacy of processes and
outcomes of the Federal Government;
(3) identify opportunities created by digital platforms
to--
(A) facilitate and enhance the interaction between
the public and the Federal Government; and
(B) incorporate innovations in participatory
democracy gleaned from--
(i) agencies;
(ii) State, local, Tribal, and territorial
governments; and
(iii) governments across the world;
(4) evaluate, and recommend improvements for--
(A) civic dialogue and debate across the United
States, with an emphasis on bridging differences and
highlighting shared values; and
(B) efforts to counterbalance cynical, vitriolic,
and unproductive civil conversations on social media by
finding common ground; and
(5) assess, and recommend improvement for, the role of the
Federal Government in using the convening power and resources
of the Federal Government to complement--
(A) private and philanthropic funding;
(B) civic education at all educational levels and
structures; and
(C) the media.
(f) Compensation.--
(1) In general.--Members of the Council may not receive
compensation for the performance of services for the Council.
(2) Travel expenses.--Members of the Council shall be
allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies
under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States
Code, while away from their homes or regular places of business
in the performance of services for the Council.
(3) Voluntary service permitted.--Notwithstanding section
1342 of title 31, United States Code, the Secretary may accept
the voluntary and uncompensated services of members of the
Council.
(g) Permanence.--Section 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act
(5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Council.
(h) 2-Year Plan.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director, in consultation with the
Council and the heads of appropriate agencies, shall submit to
Congress a 2-year plan on participatory government and civic
dialogue.
(2) Contents.--The plan required under paragraph (1) shall
include--
(A) a description of the problem relating to public
participation in the Federal Government and civic
dialogue;
(B) recommendations for agency and congressional
action to improve public participation in the Federal
Government, including--
(i) good practices;
(ii) a selection of illustrative mechanisms
for agencies that can enable agencies to offer
meaningful and impactful opportunities for
public participation; and
(iii) a list of resources available to
agencies to enable agencies to adopt and pilot
recommendations;
(C) recommendations for agency and congressional
action to improve civic conversation in the United
States, including new--
(i) agency programs;
(ii) legislative authorities; or
(iii) funding; and
(D) a description of the concrete actions that
agencies should take relating to the mission of the
Council during the 2-year period beginning on the date
on which the plan is submitted under paragraph (1).
(3) Development and implementation.--In developing and
implementing the plan required under paragraph (1), the
Director shall take into account other efforts of the Federal
Government to improve participatory government and civic
dialogue, including customer experience initiatives and broader
Federal Government communication.
SEC. 15. GAO REPORTS.
(a) Report on Agency Efforts.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United
States shall submit to Congress a report that includes an
assessment of agency efforts to enhance customer experience and
improve communication with the public.
(2) Contents.--To the extent relevant information is
available, the report required under paragraph (1) shall
include the following:
(A) An assessment of the extent to which selected
agencies actively assesses public confidence in the
agency and programs of those agency, including by
conducting surveys, convening focus groups, soliciting
voluntary customer feedback, making use of public data,
fostering public participation in the Federal
Government, and evaluating communication tools and
strategies.
(B) An assessment of the experience of agencies,
specific sectors, such as healthcare, and the Federal
Government as a whole in improving customer experience,
including whether guidance on customer experience, as
of the date of enactment of this Act, is sufficient to
support the efforts of agencies.
(C) An assessment of--
(i) agencies with high-performing customer
experience, including strategies that enable
successful efforts; and
(ii) agencies that have not adopted
customer experience culture or initiatives and
the challenges those agencies faced in that
adoption.
(D) An assessment of the compliance of agencies
with requirements relating to customer experience,
digital experience, and communication (including
through websites), including requirements under--
(i) the 21st Century Integrated Digital
Experience Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 note); and
(ii) other relevant authorities, including
this Act.
(E) Any other matter the Comptroller General of the
United States determines important to assessing
customer experience or enhancing confidence in agencies
or the Federal Government as a whole.
(b) Report on Best Practices.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United
States shall submit to Congress a report that includes an
examination of best practices in customer experience--
(A) across the Federal Government; and
(B) in State, local, Tribal, territorial, and
foreign governments.
(2) Contents.--To the extent relevant information is
available, the report required under paragraph (1) shall
include the following:
(A) An examination of the experience of agencies
with sharing, disseminating, and adopting customer
experience best practices from other agencies and
recommendations for improvement.
(B) An examination of successful efforts by State,
local, and foreign governments to improve or create
high quality, integrated customer experience,
especially in the digital domain, in order to identify
useful lessons.
(C) Any other matter the Comptroller General of the
United States determines important to assessing
customer experience or enhancing confidence in agencies
or the Federal Government as a whole.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Appropriations, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Appropriations, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
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