During his first year in office, President Biden signed an Executive Order directing a whole-of-government effort to design and deliver an equitable, effective, and accountable Government that delivers results for all Americans. Since then, more than 17 Federal agencies, through 35 High Impact Service Providers (HISPs), have taken actions to deliver customer experiences that are more simple, seamless, and secure. The President’s Budget builds on this work by proposing more than $500 million to modernize services, reduce administrative burdens, pilot new online tools and technologies, and improve agency capacity to improve service delivery. By centering the customer’s experience with Federal services, these investments bring value to Americans’ everyday interactions with the Federal government.
Specifically, the President’s Budget:
MODERNIZES SERVICE DELIVERY IN KEY AREAS
Improves the airport security experience. The Budget includes $2.7 million for TSA to pilot a Customer Experience Manager model at four airports focused on streamlining passenger screening, easy-to-understand signage, and better collection and review of customer feedback.
Modernizes Federal retirement services. The Budget includes $6.6 million for the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to help reduce processing times and improve customer satisfaction, expand a pilot for online retirement application, and begin to fund additional IT modernization initiatives akin to a case management system.
Provides more services online. The Budget includes $163 million for the Department of State to revamp the delivery of Passport Services so the public can access core services online. Most notably, this supports the delivery on the commitment outlined in the Customer Experience Executive Order to enable Americans to renew their passport without having to go in-person and mail original documents.
Improves Access to Social Security Services. The Budget makes investments in the Social Security Administration to decrease customer wait times, simplify the Supplemental Security Income application processes, and increase outreach to people who are difficult to reach. SSA would also continue to modernize its information technology systems to make more services available online and improve 800 Number access for those who call.
Improves Taxpayer Experience and Supports a Fair and Equitable Tax System. The Inflation Reduction Act addressed long-standing IRS funding deficiencies by providing $79.4 billion in stable, long-term funding through 2031 to improve tax compliance by finally cracking down on high-income individuals and corporations who too often avoided paying their lawfully owed taxes and improve service for the millions of Americans that do pay their taxes. The funding will allow the IRS to modernize IT infrastructure, administer new energy tax credits, and rebuild the administrative capacity of the agency. To realize these goals and ensure that taxpayers receive the highest quality customer service and that all Americans are treated fairly by the U.S. tax system, the Budget provides a total of $14.1 billion for the IRS, $1.8 billion, or 15 percent, above the 2023 enacted level. This includes an increase of $642 million to improve the taxpayer experience and expand customer service outreach to underserved communities and the entire taxpaying public.
Digitizes Federal Land Maps. The Budget includes $1 million for the United States Forest Service to pilot increased access to digital maps of Federal lands on Recreation.gov, as part of implementing directives in the Modernizing Access to our Public Land Act.
Invests in shared products, services, and standards. The Budget includes $119 million to support GSA in continuing its work implementing priority programs such as the US Web Design System, Digital Analytics Program, Digital.gov, Search.gov, and Touchpoints/Feedback Analytics. These programs provide the foundational tools for Federal agencies to shape customer experience, especially where government websites are not user friendly and must better comply with the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act— making them more accessible to all Americans.
ADVANCES LIFE EXPERIENCE PILOT PROJECTS
Improves Federal data services for benefits delivery. The Budget includes $11 million for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—with cross-agency partners like SSA, USDA, Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the General Services Administration (GSA)—to test ways to improve access to benefits for people facing financial shock by improving underlying eligibility data services and systems. Applicants and state staff often manually verify income to gain access to these programs, which can be burdensome and time-consuming. By improving eligibility verification services and the quality of data coverage, the Government can streamline the customer experience while maintaining complete verification requirements.
Helps states streamline access to benefits. The Budget includes $15 million for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF)—with partner agencies—to continue and expand demonstrations to improve service delivery across multiple benefit programs. Funds also support the establishment of a delivery team to help states adopt leading practices and innovate in Federal benefits delivery to ease application burden, lower time to access benefits, and improve cross-enrollment rates.
Streamlines Medicare enrollment. The Budget includes $9 million for HHS and SSA to jointly pilot efforts to improve the Medicare enrollment experience.
Adopts innovative, family-centered approaches when welcoming a child. The Budget includes $40 million to expand the “Healthy Start Benefits Bundle” pilots at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to connect low-income families welcoming a new baby with information about a bundle of supportive services (such as Medicaid, WIC, TANF) through convenient, personalized case management.
EXPANDS AND STANDS UP DEPARTMENTAL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE OFFERS
Builds agency capacity to improve customer experience. The Budget makes investments at the Departments of Agriculture, Homeland Security, Interior, Labor, Treasury, Veterans Affairs, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Census Bureau to hire more than 120 new full-time employees with customer experience and digital product delivery experience. This will enhance capabilities to learn directly from the public and identify pain points, analyze customer feedback, and use that information to improve service delivery. These new hires will support cross-agency life experience projects, customer research, and service improvement activities at agencies considered High Impact Service Providers (HISPs).
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