119-hr4524

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4524 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4524

 To amend titles 5, 31, and 44, United States Code, to improve the 
 equitable provision of services to underserved communities and 
individuals, to establish an Agency Equity Advisory Team, and for other 
 purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 July 17, 2025

 Ms. Pressley (for herself, Mr. Garcia of California, Ms. Adams, Mrs. 
 Beatty, Mr. Bishop, Ms. Brown, Mr. Carson, Mr. Clyburn, Ms. Crockett, 
Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Fields, Mrs. Foushee, Mr. Frost, Ms. Garcia 
 of Texas, Mr. Horsford, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. Jayapal, Mr. 
 Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mr. 
 Kennedy of New York, Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania, Mr. Lynch, Mrs. McIver, 
 Mr. Meeks, Mr. Mfume, Ms. Norton, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, Ms. Omar, Ms. 
Plaskett, Mrs. Ramirez, Mr. Raskin, Ms. Simon, Mr. Soto, Ms. Stansbury, 
 Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Velazquez, Mrs. Watson Coleman, and Ms. Williams of 
 Georgia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend titles 5, 31, and 44, United States Code, to improve the 
 equitable provision of services to underserved communities and 
individuals, to establish an Agency Equity Advisory Team, 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 ``Equity in Government Act''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS.

    (a) Agency Strategic Plans.--

Section 306 of title 5, United States 
Code, is amended--

    (1) in subsection

    (a)

    (2) , by inserting after ``of the 
 agency'' the following: ``, with at least one goal, or 20 
 percent of the total number of goals, whichever is greater, 
 relating to improving the equitable provision of services to 
 underserved communities and individuals'';

    (2) in subsection
            (d) , by inserting after ``in such a 
 plan'' the following: ``, including nongovernmental 
 organizations and other stakeholders, including academic and 
 research partners, State and local governments, and community 
 and advocacy groups, that can address how to improve the 
 equitable provision of services to underserved communities and 
 individuals''; and

    (3) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
 ``
            (d) Additional 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section and sections 1115 
and 1120 of title 31:
 ``

    (1) State.--The term `State' means each State of the 
 United States, the District of Columbia, each commonwealth, 
 territory, or possession of the United States, and each 
 federally recognized Indian Tribe.
 ``

    (2) Underserved communities.--The term `underserved 
 communities' means populations sharing a particular 
 characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have 
 been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in 
 aspects of economic, social, and civic life.
 ``

    (3) Underserved individual.--The term `underserved 
 individual' means a member of any underserved communities.''.

    (b) Agency Performance Plans.--

Section 1115

    (b) of title 31, United 
States Code, is amended--

    (1) in paragraph

    (1) , by inserting after ``and the next 
 fiscal year'' the following: ``, with at least one performance 
 goal, or 20 percent of the total number of performance goals, 
 whichever is greater, relating to improving the equitable 
 provision of services to underserved communities and 
 individuals''; and

    (2) in paragraph

    (5)
        (E) , by inserting after ``other 
 agencies'' the following: ``, nongovernmental organizations, 
 and other stakeholders, including academic and research 
 partners, State and local governments, and community and 
 advocacy groups,''.
            (c) Agency Priority Goals.--

Section 1120

    (b)

    (1) of title 31, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after the first sentence the 
following: ``At least one of the priority goals of each agency, or 20 
percent of the priority goals of the agency, whichever is greater, 
shall be related to improving the equitable provision of services to 
underserved communities and individuals.''.

SEC. 3. PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT OFFICERS.

 

Section 1124 of title 31, United States Code, is amended--

    (1) in subsection

    (a)

    (2) --
        (A) in subparagraph
        (E) , by striking ``; and'' and 
 inserting a semicolon;
        (B) in subparagraph
        (F) , by striking the period at 
 the end and inserting ``; and''; and
            (C) by inserting at the end the following:
 ``
        (G) establish and serve as the head of an Agency 
 Equity Advisory Team, with at least 10 members, that 
 includes representation from at least 10 of the 
 following:
 ``
            (i) The head of the agency.
 ``
            (ii) Regulatory affairs senior designee.
 ``
            (iii) Counsel.
 ``
            (iv) Civil rights enforcement senior 
 designee.
 ``
            (v) Policy development senior designee.
 ``
            (vi) Chief Financial Officer, Controller, 
 or senior designee.
 ``
            (vii) Chief Data Officer or senior 
 designee.
 ``
            (viii) Chief Science Officer or senior 
 designee.
 ``
            (ix) Chief Human Capital Officer or 
 senior designee.
 ``
            (x) Evaluation Officer or senior 
 designee.
 ``
            (xi) Statistical official.
 ``
            (xii) Procurement senior designee.
 ``
            (xiii) Customer or user experience 
 leadership.
 ``
            (xiv) Communications or public affairs 
 senior designee.
 ``
            (xv) Public engagement senior 
 designee.''; and

    (2) in subsection

    (b) , by adding at the end the following 
 new paragraph:
 ``

    (4) Equity subcommittee.--
 ``
        (A) Establishment.--There is established an 
 Equity Subcommittee of the Performance Improvement 
 Council, consisting of members of that Council, to be 
 selected by the Council.
 ``
        (B) Functions.--The Equity Subcommittee of the 
 Performance Improvement Council shall--
 ``
            (i) assist the Director of the Office of 
 Management and Budget in identifying guidance 
 agencies need on how to provide services more 
 equitably and developing such guidance;
 ``
            (ii) facilitate the sharing of 
 information across agencies regarding practices 
 that have led to the more equitable provision 
 of services;
 ``
            (iii) coordinate with the Equitable Data 
 Working Group of the Chief Data Officer Council 
 (established pursuant to 

section 3520A of title 
 44) to ensure that agencies share best 
 practices related to the equitable collection 
 and use of data; and
 ``
            (iv) solicit input from nongovernmental 
 organizations, State and local governments, and 
 recipients of government services to determine 
 best practices for providing government 
 services equitably.''.

SEC. 4. CHIEF DATA OFFICERS.

 Title 44, United States Code, is amended--

    (1) in 

section 3520
            (c) --
        (A) in paragraph

    (13) , by striking ``; and'' and 
 inserting a semicolon;
        (B) in paragraph

    (14) by striking the period at the 
 end and inserting ``; and''; and
            (C) by inserting at the end the following new 
 paragraph:
 ``

    (15) ensure the agency applies the recommendations of the 
 Chief Data Officer Council developed pursuant to paragraphs

    (1) through

    (5) of 

section 3520A

    (b) .''; and

    (2) in 

section 3520A--
        (A) in subsection

    (b) --
            (i) in paragraph

    (1) , by striking ``the 
 use'' and inserting ``the equitable use'';
            (ii) in paragraph

    (2) , by striking 
 ``between agencies'' and inserting ``between 
 agencies, academic and research partners, State 
 and local governments, community and advocacy 
 groups, and other stakeholders'';
            (iii) in paragraph

    (3) , by striking 
 ``policymaking'' and inserting ``equitable 
 policymaking'';
            (iv) in paragraph

    (4) , by striking 
 ``access'' and inserting ``equitable access''; 
 and
            (v) in paragraph

    (5) , by striking 
 ``collection'' and inserting ``equitable 
 collection'';
        (B) in subsection
            (d) , by striking ``the Council.'' 
 and inserting ``the Council, including the work of the 
 Equitable Data Working Group.'';
            (C) by amending subsection

    (e) to read as follows:
 ``

    (e) Evaluation and Termination.--
 ``

    (1) GAO evaluation of council.--Not later than 4 years 
 after the date of the enactment of this paragraph, the 
 Comptroller General shall submit to Congress a report on 
 whether the additional duties of the Council, including the 
 Equitable Data Working Group, improved the equitable collection 
 and use of evidence, including for program evaluation, in the 
 Federal Government.
 ``

    (2) Termination of council.--The Council, including the 
 Equitable Data Working Group, shall not terminate until at 
 least two years after the date on which the Comptroller General 
 submits the report under paragraph

    (1) to Congress.''; and
            (D) by adding at the end the following new 
 subsections:
 ``

    (f) Equitable Data Working Group.--
 ``

    (1) Establishment.--There is established within the 
 Council an Equitable Data Working Group.
 ``

    (2) Purpose and functions.--The Equitable Data Working 
 Group shall ensure that the Council prioritizes equity when 
 carrying out the functions of the Council described in 
 paragraphs

    (1) through

    (5) of subsection

    (b) .
 ``

    (3) Meetings; reports.--Not less frequently than once per 
 quarter, the Equitable Data Working Group shall meet submit to 
 the Chief Data Officer Council a written report with 
 recommendations on how to execute the functions described in 
 paragraphs

    (1) through

    (5) of subsection

    (b) to better achieve 
 equitable methods and outcomes.
 ``

    (4) Membership.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--The Council shall select a 
 subset of the members of the Council to serve as 
 members of the Equitable Data Working Group.
 ``
        (B) Chair.--The Chair of the Council shall select 
 the Chair of the Equitable Data Working Group from 
 among the members of the Equitable Data Working Group.
 ``

    (g) State Defined.--In this section and 

section 1124 of title 31, 
the term `State' means each State of the United States, the District of 
Columbia, each commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United 
States, and each federally recognized Indian Tribe.''.
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