We report results on new absolute cross section measurements for electron impact excitation of the two lowest 3s[3/2](1) and 3s'[1/2](1), optically- allowed electronic-state levels in neon. Those measurements were conducted at eight specific energies in the 20-300 eV energy range. The present results, at the integral cross section level, strongly support those from the recent large-scale B-spline R-matrix computations [O. Zatsarinny, K. Bartschat, Phys. Rev. A 86 (2012) 022717], and resolve a serious discrepancy that had existed between earlier experimental results and theory. Some discrepancies in the differential cross sections, at middle and backward angles, are however still noted. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.