§3604 E-Government Fund

Summary

Creates an E-Government Fund in the U.S. Treasury and requires the General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator to run it to pay for projects that help the federal government do more work online or by other electronic means. The Director, with help from the Administrator of the Office of Electronic Government, chooses projects. Projects can make government information and services easier to get, make it simpler for people and businesses to apply for benefits or do business with the government, or help agencies share information and transact with each other and with state and local governments. The GSA Administrator must set up rules for accepting and reviewing project proposals, work with interagency councils, and help coordinate Fund money with other funds. Big projects need approval by a senior agency official. Projects must follow basic investment planning, show the agencies’ resource commitments and plans for continuing after Fund money ends, and be evaluated for results. The Director, after council reviews and with the Administrator’s help, makes the final funding choices. When deciding what to fund, the Administrator must consider who will be served, what service or information will be provided, security and privacy protections, whether the project benefits more than one agency and has their support, and whether it ties to agency goals and shows interim results. The Administrator may also rank proposals by governmentwide impact, public support, state or local integration, outside and agency resource commitments, use of web technology, records plans, citizen interaction, direct delivery or infrastructure, service integration, business process change, and whether the idea is new and not replacing existing agency funds. Fund money may be used for the integrated Internet system under section 204 of the E-Government Act of 2002. No money may be sent to an agency until 15 days after the GSA Administrator notifies and describes the allocation to the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on Government Reform of the House of Representatives, and the appropriate authorizing committees of both Houses. The Director must report to Congress each year (through the report under section 3606) listing all approved projects and their results. The law authorizes $45,000,000 for fiscal year 2003, $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2004, $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2005, $150,000,000 for fiscal year 2006, and such sums as are necessary for fiscal year 2007. Money appropriated stays available until spent.