Subramanyam and Young Kim propose one federal change-of-address form for movers

By Philippa Langstrom

WASHINGTON — Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.) and Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.) want Americans who move to tell the federal government their new address once, not four times.

Their bipartisan Tell the Government Once Act, introduced Oct. 22, would direct the General Services Administration to build one voluntary online change-of-address form on Login.gov, the government’s sign-in service. Users would verify their identity, enter the new address once and choose which agencies receive it. Kim is the sponsor and Subramanyam the original cosponsor of the bill, H.R. 10880, according to Library of Congress bill status data. The bill was referred to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the Ways and Means Committee.

“We should be looking for every opportunity to make the government more efficient and easier to navigate for the American people,” Subramanyam said in his office’s announcement. “This bill does exactly that by allowing Americans to change their address though a single simple web form instead of through complicated agency documents.”

Four agencies, one form

As written, the bill covers four agencies: the Internal Revenue Service, the Social Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Postal Service, according to a section-by-section summary released by Kim’s office. GSA could add other agencies by written agreement after giving Congress 60 days’ notice and taking public comment.

The summary says nearly 15 million households move each year and must update each agency separately. “Miss one and the result is a lost refund, benefit payment, or legal notice,” it says. Kim’s release says the IRS alone generally takes 45 days to process an address change.

“Moving is stressful and expensive enough without having to track down four different federal agencies to tell each one the exact same thing,” Kim said. “A tax refund or a veteran’s benefit check should never go to the wrong address because of one missed form.”

Privacy limits and a sunset

The sponsors built in limits aimed at privacy concerns. According to the summary:

• GSA could not charge a fee or keep any information after sending it on.
• Receiving agencies could use the address only to update their own records, and each would have to mail notice of the change to the old address.
• Agencies could reject a submission flagged by their own anti-fraud checks.
• The bill states that it creates no central database or national identifier and has no effect on voter registration.
• The Treasury Department would treat the notices as valid IRS change-of-address filings once it is satisfied that the sign-in meets its security and privacy standards.

The bill authorizes no new money. Covered agencies would reimburse GSA from existing funds. The Government Accountability Office would report to Congress on uptake, fraud, costs and savings within three years of launch, and the program would end five years after the form goes live unless Congress renews it. The official bill title describes it as a pilot program.

Kim’s release says Login.gov supports more than 180 million user accounts.

Where it stands

The bill was introduced less than two weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm election, with about two months left in the 119th Congress. A bill that does not pass both chambers by the time the Congress ends in January must be reintroduced. As of Library of Congress data through Oct. 24, it had no other cosponsors and no committee action.

Subramanyam, a first-term member who sits on the Oversight Committee, has also introduced a package of three bills on visa backlogs and emergency evacuations this fall. He faces Republican Dave Beckwith and independent Ahsen Mujeeb Malik in Virginia’s 10th District on Nov. 3.

The Washington Inquisitor asked Kim’s office, Subramanyam’s campaign, GSA, the Social Security Administration, the Postal Service and the Department of Veterans Affairs for comment on the proposal. Subramanyam’s congressional office does not publish a press email. This story will be updated with any responses.