Sponsors (43)
Requires agencies to adopt equity performance goals, create agency equity teams and subcommittees, and expand equitable data governance under the Chief Data Officer Council.
Official title: To amend titles 5, 31, and 44, United States Code, to improve the equitable provision of services to underserved communities and individuals, to establish an Agency Equity Advisory Team, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 17, 2025 by Ayanna Pressley · Last progress July 17, 2025
The bill increases federal focus, coordination, and data-driven accountability to advance equitable service delivery—likely improving outcomes for underserved communities—but does so at the cost of added administrative burden, new expenses, privacy risks, and legal/implementation complexity.
Underserved people (low-income individuals, racial/ethnic minorities, immigrants, tribal communities) will see agencies adopt measurable equity-focused priority goals that make progress on access and outcomes part of agency performance.
Federal data and analytics will improve: the bill requires agencies to implement Chief Data Officer Council recommendations and creates an Equitable Data Working Group that issues regular recommendations to better identify and measure disparities.
Agencies will have formal equity governance (multidisciplinary Agency Equity Advisory Teams led by PIOs and an Equity Subcommittee) to coordinate, standardize guidance, and share best practices across federal programs.
All taxpayers and agency staff will face increased administrative workload and costs from new requirements (setting/tracking equity goals, staffing advisory teams, quarterly reporting), which could strain budgets and personnel.
Beneficiaries of other programs and governments (state/local) could see resources and attention diverted as agencies reallocate limited priority-goal slots and staff time to meet the 20% equity-goal and compliance requirements.
Expanded cross-agency data collection and coordination increases risks about how sensitive personal data is used or shared, raising privacy and civil-liberties concerns for people-with-disabilities and racial/ethnic minorities.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Requires federal agencies to set measurable equity goals, stand up cross‑agency structures, and expand equitable data practices. It directs agencies to assign at least one (or 20% of) priority performance goal to improving delivery of services to underserved communities and creates new equity roles, teams, and working groups within existing government performance and data councils to guide, coordinate, and report on equitable service provision and data use. Builds new responsibilities for agency Performance Improvement Officers and the Chief Data Officer Council, including an Equity Subcommittee and an Equitable Data Working Group that must develop and share guidance, solicit outside input, issue quarterly recommendations, and be evaluated by GAO before termination is allowed.