House passes new customer service standards for feds

The House passed a bipartisan bill July 31 that requires the government to set customer service standards for payments, benefits processing and response times to inquiries.

The measure, passed by voice vote, would put the Office of Management and Budget in charge of setting goals for customer service improvements, establishing targets for response times to calls, e-mails, payment requests and other inquiries, and establishing a pilot feedback program at the IRS and two other agencies to be determined, to monitor the results. Agencies would be tasked with implementing government-wide standards under the direction of their chief performance officers.

The bill would address the backlog of retirement claims at the Office of Personnel Management by requiring OPM to set a timetable for handling claims and a setting a deadline for switching to electronic processing.

"Today's House vote is a step toward better service for the millions of people who rely on the federal government. Citizens should expect federal agencies to deliver customer services at least as well as the private sector does, but this often is not the case," Sen. Mark Warner, (D.-Va.), sponsor of a companion Senate bill, said in a statement.

The House bill was sponsored by Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas).

Read the Government Customer Improvement Act.