News Release

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OASAM News Release: [11/10/2003]
Contact Name: Yvonne Ralsky
Phone Number: (202) 693-4676

GovBenefits.gov Adds New State Programs and Redesigns Homepage

Site Now Includes Information on 48 State and 419 Federal Programs

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Labor, in conjunction with the Office of Management and Budget, today announced the launch of a new version of GovBenefits.gov, a Web site developed to serve citizens as the first government-wide resource for citizen benefit information and eligibility screening. In addition to all citizen-focused federal benefit programs, this new version of GovBenefits.gov also includes state benefit programs from: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota and Utah. The State benefit program information that can now be found on the site includes: Food Stamps, Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and State Children’s Health Insurance Programs. With these enhancements, GovBenefits.gov has taken concrete steps toward providing a single place for both Federal and State benefit program information.

GovBenefits.gov has also undergone important upgrades:

• Homepage RedesignIncludes new look and feel, and more ways for visitors to obtain Federal and State benefit information.
• More Streamlined QuestionnaireResults in significantly fewer questions for visitors to answer and allows visitors to stop at any time while completing questionnaire and see what benefits are available up to that point.
• Greater AccessProvides additional ease of use for those who employ screen readers or other assistive devices.
• GovBenefits.gov SurveyHelps measure customer satisfaction and guide future improvements.

To view all of these the new site features, visit: http://www.govbenefits.gov/.

“GovBenefits.gov is dedicated to making government benefit information easier for citizens to obtain,” said Patrick Pizzella, Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management and Chief Information Officer at the Department of Labor. “One important way the site has done that is by exploring the previously uncharted territory of providing a single place for both Federal and State benefit program information.”

GovBenefits.gov is one of 24 key initiatives that comprise the President’s E-Government Strategy, an integral part of President Bush’s Management Agenda, which focuses on: creating a more accessible government, saving taxpayer dollars, and streamlining citizen-to-government transactions. GovBenefits.gov is the collaborative effort of 10 federal agencies including: Departments of Labor (managing partner), Agriculture, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, State, Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security, and the Social Security Administration.

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