H.R. 10880: Tell the Government Once Act

This bill would create a pilot program for a voluntary online federal “change of address” service run by the General Services Administration (GSA).

What the service would do

Under the bill, a person could log into a secure federal website, verify their identity, and use one online form to send a change-of-address notice to one or more participating federal agencies. The person would be able to choose which agencies receive the notice and would get confirmation that the agencies received it.

Which agencies would be covered

The bill automatically includes these agencies:

• Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
• Social Security Administration (SSA)
• Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
• U.S. Postal Service (USPS)

It also allows other federal agencies to join later if the GSA signs a written agreement with them and gives Congress and the public advance notice.

How agencies would use the information

If an agency receives a valid notice, it would have to update the person’s mailing or residential address in its records, unless it determines the notice was unauthorized or fraudulent. If the agency updates the address, it would also mail a notice of the update to the old address on file.

Privacy and limits

The bill says the GSA could not charge a fee for using the form. It also says GSA could not keep the address information any longer than needed to send it to the selected agency or agencies.

Agencies receiving the notice could use the information only for updating the address in their records, subject to other applicable federal laws. The bill also says it does not create a central address database, a national ID system, or a requirement that people use the service instead of other ways to change an address.

IRS-related rules

The bill directs the Treasury Department to issue guidance so that a notice submitted through the service can count as a clear and concise change-of-address notice for IRS purposes, but only if the IRS is satisfied that the identity verification and security standards are adequate.

Costs, reporting, and duration

Covered agencies would have to reimburse GSA for their share of the administrative costs, as determined appropriate by GSA. The bill would require the Comptroller General to report to Congress within three years on how the service is being used, including usage numbers, fraud issues, costs, savings, and whether more agencies should be added.

The pilot would end five years after the service first becomes available, or, if the service is not launched within three years of enactment, the authority would expire then.

Relevant Companies

None found