[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4041 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4041

     To establish a task force to share best practices on computer 
 programming and coding for elementary schools and secondary schools, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 17, 2015

Mr. Cardenas (for himself, Mr. Farenthold, Mr. Cartwright, Mr. Gallego, 
 Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Honda, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Foster, and Ms. Judy Chu of 
 California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To establish a task force to share best practices on computer 
 programming and coding for elementary schools and secondary schools, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``416d65726963612043616e20436f6465 Act 
of 2015'' or the ``America Can Code Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) According to the National Science Foundation, 2 percent 
        of students studying science, technology, engineering, or math 
        (STEM) are computer science majors, while 60 percent of STEM 
        jobs are in the computing field.
            (2) The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that computer 
        programming jobs are growing at twice the national job growth 
        average, and these jobs are high paying middle class jobs that 
        can secure the financial future of many American families and 
        also help grow the United States economy.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) secondary schools should focus on preparing career and 
        technical students, including underrepresented groups such as 
        minorities and women, for academic and technical opportunities 
        in postsecondary education or entry into a high paying, skilled 
        job in the computer programming field;
            (2) elementary schools and secondary schools should place 
        emphasis on coding and computer programming as a vocational and 
        technical education track;
            (3) educators should rethink the way coding as a skill is 
        conceptualized within the education system and in our society; 
        and
            (4) learning to write and read code is critical to creating 
        and innovating in cyberspace, and learning this language is 
        also a skill critical to the national security and economic 
        competitiveness of the United States.

SEC. 4. CODING AS A CRITICAL FOREIGN LANGUAGE.

    Section 6001(b)(1) of the America COMPETES Act (20 U.S.C. 
9802(b)(1)) is amended by inserting ``, including a computer 
programming language,'' after ``a foreign language''.

SEC. 5. AMENDMENTS TO THE CARL D. PERKINS VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL 
              EDUCATION ACT OF 2006.

    The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 2006 
(20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) in section 122(c) (20 U.S.C. 2342(c))--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A)--
                                    (I) in the first sentence, by 
                                inserting ``, including coding and 
                                computer programming,'' after ``the 
                                career and technical programs of 
                                study''; and
                                    (II) in clause (iv), by inserting 
                                ``, particularly in the technology 
                                field'' after ``or an associate or 
                                baccalaureate degree'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (H), by inserting ``, 
                        especially in computer programming'' after ``in 
                        current or emerging occupations''; and
                            (iii) in subparagraph (I)(iii), by 
                        inserting ``, especially in computer 
                        programming'' after ``or high demand 
                        occupations'';
                    (B) in paragraph (7)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by inserting 
                        ``, particularly coding and computer 
                        programming'' after ``career and technical 
                        education subjects''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``, 
                        such as the technology industry'' after ``all 
                        aspects of an industry'';
                    (C) in paragraph (9)(C), by inserting ``, 
                especially in computer programming'' after ``or high 
                demand occupations'';
                    (D) in paragraph (16), by inserting ``, especially 
                in computer programming'' after ``regional occupational 
                opportunities''; and
                    (E) in paragraph (18), by inserting ``, especially 
                in computer programming'' after ``or high demand 
                occupations and non-traditional fields''; and
            (2) in section 203 (20 U.S.C. 2373)--
                    (A) in subsection (c)--
                            (i) in paragraph (2)--
                                    (I) in subparagraph (B), by 
                                inserting ``, especially in coding and 
                                computer programming,'' after 
                                ``integrates academic and career and 
                                technical education instruction'';
                                    (II) in subparagraph (C), by 
                                inserting ``, especially in computer 
                                programming'' after ``or high demand 
                                occupations'';
                                    (III) in subparagraph (E), by 
                                inserting ``, particularly in the 
                                technology field'' after ``in a 
                                specific career field''; and
                                    (IV) in subparagraph (F), by 
                                inserting ``, particularly in computer 
                                programming,'' after ``or high wage 
                                employment''; and
                            (ii) in paragraph (6), by inserting ``, 
                        particularly in the technology industry,'' 
                        after ``(including preapprenticeship 
                        programs)'';
                    (B) in subsection (d)(1), by inserting ``, 
                including hardware and software'' after ``provide for 
                the acquisition of tech prep program equipment''; and
                    (C) in subsection (e)(1)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (B)--
                                    (I) by redesignating clauses (iv) 
                                and (v) as (v) and (vi), respectively; 
                                and
                                    (II) by inserting after clause 
                                (iii) the following:
                            ``(iv) complete a State or industry-
                        recognized certification or licensure in 
                        computer programming;''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (C)--
                                    (I) by redesignating clauses (iii) 
                                and (iv) as (iv) and (v), respectively; 
                                and
                                    (II) by inserting after clause (ii) 
                                the following:
                            ``(iii) complete a State or industry-
                        recognized certification or licensure in 
                        computer programming;''.

SEC. 6. TASK FORCE ON COMPUTER PROGRAMMING AND CODING.

    (a) Establishment of Task Force on Computer Programming and 
Coding.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Education shall convene a task force to explore--
            (1) mechanisms for the development of draft curricula for 
        elementary and secondary education with respect to computer 
        programming and coding;
            (2) a mechanism to collect and share best practices among 
        educators with respect to computer programming and coding at 
        the elementary school and secondary school levels; and
            (3) a national strategy to ensure competitiveness in 
        emerging STEM fields, such as computer programming and coding.
    (b) Functions.--The task force shall--
            (1) develop options for a collaborative model and an 
        organizational structure for such task force under which the 
        joint research and development activities may be planned, 
        managed, and conducted effectively, including mechanisms for 
        the allocation of resources among the participants of such task 
        force for support of such activities;
            (2) identify and prioritize at least 3 challenges of 
        educating and training a workforce equipped to fill computer 
        science and engineering jobs, particularly focused on 
        nationally significant problems requiring collaborative and 
        interdisciplinary solutions;
            (3) propose a process for developing a research and 
        development agenda for such task force to address the 
        challenges identified under paragraph (2);
            (4) define the roles and responsibilities for the members 
        from each of the groups described in paragraphs (1) through (4) 
        of subsection (c);
            (5) establish the information portal described in 
        subsection (e); and
            (6) make recommendations for how the task force may be 
        funded from Federal, State, and nongovernmental sources.
    (c) Composition.--In establishing the task force under subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall appoint to serve on the task force an equal 
number of representatives from each of the following 4 groups:
            (1) The Department of Education and other relevant Federal 
        Government agencies.
            (2) Elementary school or secondary school teachers.
            (3) Institutions of higher education, including minority-
        serving institutions and community colleges.
            (4) Employers of individuals with expertise in computer 
        science and engineering.
    (d) Compensation and Expenses.--Members of the task force shall 
serve without compensation.
    (e) Information Portal.--
            (1) In general.--The task force shall establish and 
        maintain, an information portal which shall--
                    (A) include the establishment of an online, 
                publicly available information portal for use by 
                elementary schools and secondary schools and 
                stakeholders that directs users to key data and tools 
                to build or update curricula for elementary and 
                secondary education on coding and computer programming; 
                and
                    (B) expand and be complementary to existing Federal 
                efforts promoting coding and computer programming in 
                elementary schools and secondary schools to prepare for 
                high paying skilled jobs in the computer programming 
                field.
            (2) Contents.--The information portal established under 
        this subsection shall direct users (who may include elementary 
        schools and secondary schools, academia, and private sector 
        stakeholders, and non-profit organizations with expertise in 
        coding), to coordinated and systematic information on promoting 
        coding and computer programming in elementary schools and 
        secondary schools to prepare students for high paying skilled 
        jobs in the computer programming field, including--
                    (A) best or model practices;
                    (B) data;
                    (C) case studies;
                    (D) indicators;
                    (E) scientific reports;
                    (F) policy recommendations for Federal, State, and 
                local government;
                    (G) guidance documents and design standards for 
                elementary schools and secondary schools;
                    (H) incentives for teachers;
                    (I) education initiatives;
                    (J) support tools, including draft curricula and 
                appropriate materials for teachers;
                    (K) public and private sources of assistance to 
                available to support computer science and engineering 
                in elementary schools and secondary schools; and
                    (L) such other information as the coordinating as 
                the task force considers appropriate.
    (f) Report.--Not later than 24 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary shall transmit to the Committees on 
Education and Workforce and Oversight and Government Reform of the 
House of Representatives and the Committees on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of 
the Senate a report describing the findings and recommendations of the 
task force.
    (g) Termination.--The task force shall terminate upon the 
completion of information portal report required under subsection (e) 
and the transmittal of the report required under subsection (f).
    (h) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) ESEA terms.--The terms ``elementary school'' and 
        ``secondary school'' have the meanings given the terms in 
        section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
        1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (2) Community college.--The term ``community college'' has 
        the meaning given the term ``junior or community college'' in 
        section 312(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        1058(f)).
            (3) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).
            (4) Minority-serving institution.--The term ``minority-
        serving institution'' means an institution described in section 
        371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 20 U.S.C. 
        1067q(a)).
            (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
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