Title 15Commerce and TradeRelease 119-73not60

§7464 Identity Management Research and Development

Title 15 › Chapter 100A— CYBERSECURITY ENHANCEMENT › Subchapter IV— ADVANCEMENT OF CYBERSECURITY TECHNICAL STANDARDS › § 7464

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Director must run research to help create voluntary technical standards, tests, and best practices for identity systems. The work must focus on four goals: make identity tools work together and move between systems; strengthen identity checking and verification based on risk, including services from federal, state, and local governments; protect people’s privacy; and make systems more accurate, easy to use, and inclusive. The Director must also make and keep a technical roadmap with other agencies and private groups to encourage voluntary use of modern digital ID solutions that meet those goals. The Director must develop and update common terms and voluntary guidance for digital identity systems, including government validation services. That guidance should follow the four goals when possible, include case studies, use voluntary standards and best practices, not require specific products, and be developed after talking with government agencies, industry, users, and experts.

Full Legal Text

Title 15, §7464

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Director shall carry out a program of research to support the development of voluntary, consensus-based technical standards, best practices, benchmarks, methodologies, metrology, testbeds, and conformance criteria for identity management, taking into account appropriate user concerns to—
(1)improve interoperability and portability among identity management technologies;
(2)strengthen identity proofing and verification methods used in identity management systems commensurate with the level of risk, including identity and attribute validation services provided by Federal, State, and local governments;
(3)improve privacy protection in identity management systems; and
(4)improve the accuracy, usability, and inclusivity of identity management systems.
(b)The Director, in consultation with other relevant Federal agencies and stakeholders from the private sector, shall develop and maintain a technical roadmap for digital identity management research and development focused on enabling the voluntary use and adoption of modern digital identity solutions that align with the four criteria in subsection (a).
(c)(1)The Director shall develop, and periodically update, in collaboration with other public and private sector organizations, common definitions and voluntary guidance for digital identity management systems, including identity and attribute validation services provided by Federal, State, and local governments.
(2)The Guidance shall—
(A)align with the four criteria in subsection (a), as practicable;
(B)provide case studies of implementation of guidance;
(C)incorporate voluntary technical standards and industry best practices; and
(D)not prescribe or otherwise require the use of specific technology products or services.
(3)In carrying out this subsection, the Director shall consult with—
(A)Federal and State agencies;
(B)industry;
(C)potential end-users and individuals that will use services related to digital identity verification; and
(D)experts with relevant experience in the systems that enable digital identity verification, as determined by the Director.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2022—Pub. L. 117–167 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section related to Director’s continuance of program to support development of voluntary and cost-effective technical standards, metrology, testbeds, and conformance criteria, taking into account appropriate user concerns.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

15 U.S.C. § 7464

Title 15Commerce and Trade

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60