[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 404 Engrossed in House (EH)]
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 404
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To require the establishment of customer service standards for Federal
agencies.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Customer Service Enhancement
Act''.
SEC. 2. DEVELOPMENT OF PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND STANDARDS FOR CUSTOMER
SERVICE PROVIDED BY FEDERAL AGENCIES.
(a) Requirement.--
(1) Performance measures and standards.--The Director of
the Office of Management and Budget shall develop--
(A) performance measures to determine whether
Federal agencies are providing high-quality customer
service; and
(B) standards to be met by Federal agencies in
order to provide high-quality customer service.
(2) Requirement to take into account certain information.--
The standards under paragraph (1) shall be developed after
taking into account the information collected by Federal
agencies under subsection (b).
(b) Customer Service Input.--The head of each Federal agency shall
collect information from its customers regarding the quality of
customer services provided by the agency. The information shall be
collected through a survey, focus groups, or other appropriate methods.
Each Federal agency shall include this information in its performance
report submitted under section 1116 of title 31, United States Code.
(c) Annual Report.--The Director of the Office of Management and
Budget shall issue an annual report on the success of Federal agencies
in meeting the customer service performance measures and standards
developed under subsection (a).
SEC. 3. IMPLEMENTATION OF CUSTOMER SERVICE STANDARDS.
(a) Customer Relations Representative.--The head of each Federal
agency shall designate an employee to be the customer relations
representative of the agency. Such representative shall be responsible
for implementing the customer service standards developed under section
2 and the agency requirements under subsection (b).
(b) Agency Requirements.--
(1) Guidelines and contact information.--
(A) In general.--The head of each Federal agency,
acting through its customer relations representative,
shall--
(i) issue guidelines to implement the
customer service standards developed under
section 2 within the agency, including specific
principles of customer service applicable to
that agency; and
(ii) publish customer service contact
information, including a mailing address,
telephone number, and e-mail address.
(B) Availability.--The guidelines and the customer
service contact information required under this
paragraph shall be available on the agency's public
website.
(2) Stationery requirements.--Each Federal agency shall
include its address and phone number on any agency stationery.
In the case of correspondence originating from a regional or
local office of a Federal agency, the agency shall include the
address and phone number of the regional or local office on the
stationery.
SEC. 4. REPORT BY GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE.
(a) Report Required.--Not later than two years after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs of the Senate a report analyzing the information reported by
agencies under section 2(b).
(b) Matters Covered.--The report shall include--
(1) whether agencies are implementing the customer service
standards;
(2) whether there is an increase in overall quality in
customer service in the Federal Government; and
(3) any recommendations the Comptroller General may have to
improve performance measures and standards for customer service
in the Federal Government.
(c) Use of Report.--The report may be used by Congress as well as
the Director of Office of Management and Budget to update performance
measures for customer service.
SEC. 5. INCENTIVES FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE.
(a) Award Program.--The head of a Federal agency may establish an
awards program to pay a cash award under chapter 45 of title 5, United
States Code, to employees for demonstrated excellence in customer
service.
(b) Performance Appraisal.--Compliance with customer service
standards developed under this Act shall, to the extent practicable, be
an element of a performance appraisal system referred to in section
5307(d) of title 5, United States Code.
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) The term ``customer'', with respect to a Federal
agency, means any individual or entity, including a business,
State or local government, other Federal agency, or Congress,
to which the agency provides services or information.
(2) The term ``Federal agency'' has the meaning given the
term ``Executive agency'' by section 105 of title 5, United
States Code, except that the term does not include an agency if
the President determines that this Act should not apply to the
agency for national security reasons.
Passed the House of Representatives July 23, 2007.
Attest:
Clerk.
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 404
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To require the establishment of customer service standards for Federal
agencies.