[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3544 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3544


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 13, 2022

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 
                        and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
 To require the Administrator of General Services to transfer certain 
   surplus computers and technology equipment to nonprofit computer 
   refurbishers for repair, distribution, and return, 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 ``Computers for Veterans and Students 
Act of 2022'' or the ``COVS Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Access to computers and computer technology is 
        indispensable for success in the 21st century. Millions of 
        Americans do not regularly use a computer and research shows 
        that substantial disparities remain in both internet use and 
        the quality of access with the digital divide concentrated 
        among older, less educated, less affluent populations, 
        especially veterans, low-income students, and senior citizens.
            (2) The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the gap between 
        those with computer access and those without. Millions of 
        students, their families, and workers from across the economy 
        were unable to do schoolwork, work remotely from home, or 
        connect to loved ones and their communities because of the 
        digital divide.
            (3) Any Federal program that distributes surplus Federal 
        computers to a public school, an educational nonprofit, or a 
        nonprofit computer refurbisher for repair and distribution 
        would benefit from a partnership with a nonprofit organization, 
        whose mission is bridging the digital divide.

SEC. 3. REFURBISHMENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF SURPLUS COMPUTERS AND 
              TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT.

    (a) GSA Transfer.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after State 
        agencies for surplus property have been given an opportunity to 
        review surplus computer or technology equipment that has been 
        determined to be repairable, the Administrator shall transfer 
        to participating nonprofit computer refurbishers such equipment 
        with full title to such equipment, for repair and distribution 
        in accordance with subsection (c)(1).
            (2) Information on equipment refurbished.--A nonprofit 
        computer refurbisher that receives surplus computer or 
        technology equipment under this subsection shall provide the 
        Administrator with any information the Administrator determines 
        to be necessary for required reporting, including information 
        about the distribution of such equipment.
    (b) Partnership.--The Administrator may establish a partnership 
with non-governmental entities, at no cost, to--
            (1) facilitate the identification of nonprofit computer 
        refurbishers and the distribution of surplus computer or 
        technology equipment under this section; and
            (2) facilitate the participation of nonprofit computer 
        refurbishers under this section.
    (c) Repair and Distribution.--
            (1) Distribution to bridge the digital divide.--A nonprofit 
        computer refurbisher that receives equipment under subsection 
        (a) shall repair and distribute such equipment to an 
        educational institution, a veteran, an individual with a 
        disability, a low-income individual, a student, or a senior in 
        need that is residing or based in the United States.
            (2) Training programs.--Any nonprofit computer refurbisher 
        that receives any equipment under subsection (a) shall offer 
        training programs on the use of computers and technology 
        equipment for any of the following:
                    (A) Educational institutions.
                    (B) Veterans.
                    (C) Individuals with disabilities.
                    (D) Low-income individuals.
                    (E) Students.
                    (F) Seniors.
    (d) Reports Required.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter for the next 4 
years, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a report on the 
efforts of the Administrator under this Act.
    (e) Agency Reports.--Not later than 5 years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the head of each 
Federal agency shall make a report available to the public on the 
number of repairable computers that were sent to recycling, abandoned, 
or destroyed.
    (f) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be construed 
to supersede the requirements of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology 
Innovation Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-480; 15 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.).
    (g) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of General Services.
            (2) Digital divide.--The term ``digital divide'' means the 
        gap between those who have an internet-connected computer and 
        the skills to use the computer and those who do not.
            (3) Educational institution.--The term ``educational 
        institution'' means--
                    (A) any public or private child care center, 
                preschool, elementary school, secondary school, 
                accredited institution of vocational or professional 
                education, or institution of higher education;
                    (B) in the case of an accredited institution of 
                vocational or professional education or an institution 
                of higher education composed of more than one school, 
                college, or department that is administratively a 
                separate unit, each such school, college, or 
                department; and
                    (C) a home school (whether treated as a home school 
                or a private school for purposes of applicable State 
                law).
            (4) Federal agency.--The term ``Federal agency'' has the 
        meaning given the term ``federal agency'' in section 102 of 
        title 40, United States Code.
            (5) Disability.--The term ``disability'' has the meaning 
        given that term in section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities 
        Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102).
            (6) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).
            (7) Low-income individuals.--The term ``low income 
        individual'' has the meaning given such term in section 351 of 
        the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 (15 U.S.C. 689).
            (8) Nonprofit computer refurbisher.--The term ``nonprofit 
        computer refurbisher'' means a nonprofit organization that 
        primarily works to improve access to information and 
        communication technology in their mission to bridge the digital 
        divide.
            (9) Nonprofit organization.--The term ``nonprofit 
        organization'' means an organization that is described under 
        section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is 
        exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code.
            (10) Repairable.--The term ``repairable'' means property 
        that is unusable in its current state but can be economically 
        repaired.
            (11) Secondary school.--The term ``secondary school'' has 
        the meaning given such term in section 8101 of the Elementary 
        and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
            (12) Senior.--The term ``senior'' means an individual who 
        is 65 years of age or older.
            (13) Senior in need.--The term ``senior in need'' means a 
        senior who experiences cultural, social, or geographical 
        isolation that--
                    (A) restricts the ability of the senior to perform 
                normal daily tasks; or
                    (B) threatens the capacity of the senior to live 
                independently.
            (14) State agency for surplus property.--The term ``State 
        agency for surplus property'' has the meaning given the term 
        ``state agency'' under section 549 of title 40, United States 
        Code.
            (15) Student.--The term ``student'' means any individual 
        enrolled in an educational institution, but not a public or 
        private child care center.
            (16) Surplus computer or technology equipment.--The term 
        ``surplus computer or technology equipment'' means computer or 
        technology equipment that is property described under section 
        549(b)(2) of title 40, United States Code.
            (17) Technology equipment.--The term ``technology 
        equipment'' means any physical asset related to a computer or 
        information technology, including any peripheral component, 
        tablet, communication device (such as a router, server, or cell 
        phone), printer, scanner, uninterruptible power source, cable, 
        or connection.
            (18) Veteran.--The term ``veteran'' has the meaning given 
        that term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code.
    (h) Regulations.--The Administrator may issue regulations that are 
necessary and appropriate to implement this section.

SEC. 4. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

    The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying 
with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by 
reference to the latest statement titled ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO 
Legislation'' for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional 
Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that 
such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.

            Passed the House of Representatives July 12, 2022.

            Attest:

                                             CHERYL L. JOHNSON,

                                                                 Clerk.