The 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act: A mandate to catch up with constituents’ digital expectations

Developments in technology are transforming nearly every industry— and government is no exception. Today, federal, state, and local government agencies are seeking to improve the way they engage with constituents online, and how they deliver public services. Comprehensive design standards released in January 2020 will enable agencies to comply with the 21st Century IDEA Act, which requires all digital services offered by government agencies to have a base level of quality and accessibility.

The 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (IDEA) is designed to compel federal agencies to deliver the kind of web experiences and customer service that consumers typically expect from private sector businesses today. The legislation requires that public-facing government agency websites must: accelerate the use of electronic signatures, offer mobile-friendly digital options for all paper-based forms an make customer experience a priority in the federal IT strategy.