Constituent Services
Constituent services are nonlegislative activities that Members of Congress and their staff undertake for constituents. One form is casework: responding to requests for assistance, often by helping constituents deal with administrative agencies and facilitating communication with them.
Constituent services are nonlegislative activities that Members of Congress and their staff undertake for constituents. One form is casework: responding to requests for assistance, often by helping constituents deal with administrative agencies and facilitating communication with them.
Example: The CASES Act (P.L. 116-50) was designed to let constituents authorize electronic disclosure of information to congressional offices for casework; it directed OMB to issue guidance requiring agencies to accept electronic consent forms.
Common misconception: A congressional office cannot force an agency to expedite a case or decide it in a constituent’s favor. Staff can help facilitate the administrative process, encourage the agency to consider the case, and sometimes advocate for a favorable outcome.
Sources: Constituent Services: Overview and Resources; Casework in a Congressional Office; The CASES Act: Implementation and Issues for Congress