The BARCODE Efficiency Act is a companion to 2025 Senate legislation requiring scannable code on paper forms and the use of optical character recognition tech.

Effective next month, the department said the change will increase its workers’ efficiency by speeding up initial data entry and related administrative tasks.

Going paperless isn't just about ditching printers and file cabinets. It's about rethinking government from the ground up to meet the needs of a digital-first society.