[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 59 (Wednesday, April 22, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H4606-H4610]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        ELECTRONIC DEVICE RECYCLING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACT

  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 1580) to authorize the Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency to award grants for electronic waste 
reduction research, development, and demonstration projects, and for 
other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1580

       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 ``Electronic Device Recycling 
     Research and Development Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) The volume of electronic devices in the United States 
     is substantial and will continue to grow. The Environmental 
     Protection Agency estimates that over 2 billion computers, 
     televisions, wireless devices, printers, gaming systems, and 
     other devices have been sold since 1980, generating 2 million 
     tons of unwanted electronic devices in 2005 alone.
       (2) Electronic devices can be recycled or refurbished to 
     recover and conserve valuable materials, such as gold, 
     copper, and platinum. However, according to the Environmental 
     Protection Agency, only 15 to 20 percent of electronic 
     devices discarded from households reach recyclers.
       (3) The electronic device recycling industry in the United 
     States is growing; however, challenges remain for the 
     recycling of electronic devices by households and other small 
     generators. Collection of such electronic devices is 
     expensive, and separation and proper recycling of some of the 
     materials recovered, like lead from cathode-ray tube 
     televisions, is costly.

[[Page H4607]]

       (4) The export of unwanted electronic devices to developing 
     countries also presents a serious challenge. The crude 
     methods of many of the recycling operations in these 
     countries can expose workers to harmful chemicals, 
     jeopardizing their health and polluting the environment.
       (5) Some of the challenges to increasing the recyclability 
     of electronic devices can be addressed by improving the 
     logistics and technology of the collection and recycling 
     process, designing electronic devices to avoid the use of 
     hazardous materials and to be more easily recycled, and 
     encouraging the use of recycled materials in more 
     applications.
       (6) The public currently does not take full advantage of 
     existing electronic device recycling opportunities. Studying 
     factors that influence behavior and educating consumers about 
     responsible electronic device recycling could help 
     communities and private industry develop recycling programs 
     that draw more participation.
       (7) The development of tools and technologies to increase 
     the lifespan of electronic devices and to promote their safe 
     reuse would decrease the impact of the production of 
     electronic devices on the environment and likely increase the 
     recyclability of such devices.
       (8) Accurately assessing the environmental impacts of the 
     production of electronic devices and the recycling of such 
     devices is a complex task. Data, tools, and methods to better 
     quantify these impacts would help policymakers and others 
     determine the best end-of-life management options for 
     electronic devices.

     SEC. 3. ELECTRONIC DEVICE ENGINEERING RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, 
                   AND DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.

       (a) In General.--The Administrator shall award multiyear 
     grants to consortia to conduct research to create innovative 
     and practical approaches to manage the environmental impacts 
     of electronic devices and, through the conduct of this 
     research, to contribute to the professional development of 
     scientists, engineers, and technicians in the fields of 
     electronic device manufacturing, design, refurbishing, and 
     recycling. The grants awarded under this section shall 
     support research to--
       (1) increase the efficiency of and improve electronic 
     device collection and recycling;
       (2) expand the uses and applications for materials 
     recovered from electronic devices;
       (3) develop and demonstrate environmentally friendly 
     alternatives to the use of hazardous and potentially 
     hazardous materials in electronic devices and the production 
     of such devices;
       (4) develop methods to identify, separate, and remove 
     hazardous and potentially hazardous materials from electronic 
     devices and to reuse, recycle, or dispose of such materials 
     in a safe manner;
       (5) reconsider product design and assembly to facilitate 
     and improve refurbishment, reuse, and recycling of electronic 
     devices, including an emphasis on design for recycling;
       (6) conduct lifecycle analyses of electronic devices, 
     including developing tools and methods to assess the 
     environmental impacts of the production, use, and end-of-life 
     management of electronic devices and electronic device 
     components;
       (7) develop product design, tools, and techniques to extend 
     the lifecycle of electronic devices, including methods to 
     promote their upgrade and safe reuse; and
       (8) identify the social, behavioral, and economic barriers 
     to recycling and reuse for electronic devices and develop 
     strategies to increase awareness, consumer acceptance, and 
     the practice of responsible recycling and reuse for such 
     devices.
       (b) Merit Review; Competition.--Grants shall be awarded 
     under this section on a merit-reviewed, competitive basis.
       (c) Applications.--A consortium shall submit an application 
     for a grant under this section to the Administrator at such 
     time, in such manner, and containing such information and 
     assurances as the Administrator may require. The application 
     shall include a description of--
       (1) the research project that will be undertaken by the 
     consortium and the contributions of each of the participating 
     entities, including the for-profit entity;
       (2) the applicability of the project to reduce impediments 
     to electronic device recycling in the electronic device 
     design, manufacturing, refurbishing, or recycling industries;
       (3) the potential for and feasibility of incorporating the 
     research results into industry practice; and
       (4) how the project will promote collaboration among 
     scientists and engineers from different disciplines, such as 
     electrical engineering, materials science, and social 
     science.
       (d) Dissemination of Research Results.--Research results 
     shall be made publicly available through--
       (1) development of best practices or training materials for 
     use in the electronic device manufacturing, design, 
     refurbishing, or recycling industries;
       (2) dissemination at conferences affiliated with such 
     industries;
       (3) publication on the Environmental Protection Agency's 
     Web site;
       (4) demonstration projects; or
       (5) educational materials for the public produced in 
     conjunction with State governments, local governments, or 
     nonprofit organizations on problems and solutions related to 
     electronic device recycling and reuse.
       (e) Funding Contribution From For-Profit Member of 
     Consortium.--The for-profit entity participating in the 
     consortium shall contribute at least 10 percent of the total 
     research project cost, either directly or with in-kind 
     contributions.
       (f) Protection of Proprietary Information.--The 
     Administrator--
       (1) shall not disclose any proprietary information or trade 
     secrets provided by any person or entity pursuant to this 
     section;
       (2) shall ensure that, as a condition of receipt of a grant 
     under this section, each member of the consortium has in 
     place proper protections to maintain proprietary information 
     or trade secrets contributed by other members of the 
     consortium; and
       (3) if any member of the consortium breaches the conditions 
     under paragraph (2) or discloses proprietary information or 
     trade secrets, may require the return of any funds received 
     under this section by such member.
       (g) Biennial Report.--Within 2 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter, the 
     Administrator shall transmit a report to Congress that 
     provides--
       (1) a list of the grants awarded under this section;
       (2) the entities participating in each consortium receiving 
     a grant;
       (3) a description of the research projects carried out in 
     whole or in part with funds made available under such a 
     grant;
       (4) the results of such research projects; and
       (5) a description of the rate and success of the adoption 
     or integration of such research results into the 
     manufacturing processes, management practices, and products 
     of the electronics industry.
       (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this 
     section:
       (1) $18,000,000 for fiscal year 2010.
       (2) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2011.
       (3) $22,000,000 for fiscal year 2012.

     SEC. 4. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES REPORT ON ELECTRONIC 
                   DEVICE RECYCLING.

       (a) In General.--In order to better recognize gaps and 
     opportunities in the research and training programs 
     established in this Act, the Administrator shall enter into 
     an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences for a 
     report, to be transmitted to Congress not later than 1 year 
     after the date of enactment of this Act, on--
       (1) opportunities for and barriers to--
       (A) increasing the recyclability of electronic devices, 
     specifically addressing--
       (i) recycling or safe disposal of electronic devices and 
     low value materials recovered from such devices;
       (ii) designing electronic devices to facilitate reuse and 
     recycling; and
       (iii) the reuse of electronic devices; and
       (B) making electronic devices safer and more 
     environmentally friendly, specifically addressing reducing 
     the use of hazardous materials and potentially hazardous 
     materials in electronic devices;
       (2) the environmental and human health risks posed by the 
     storage, transport, recycling, and disposal of unwanted 
     electronic devices;
       (3) the current status of research and training programs to 
     promote the environmental design of electronic devices to 
     increase the recyclability of such devices; and
       (4) any regulatory or statutory barriers that may prevent 
     the adoption or implementation of best management practices 
     or technological innovations that may arise from the research 
     and training programs established in this Act.
       (b) Recommendations.--The report under subsection (a) shall 
     identify gaps in the current research and training programs 
     in addressing the opportunities, barriers, and risks relating 
     to electronic device recycling, and the report shall 
     recommend areas where additional research and development 
     resources are needed to reduce the impact of unwanted 
     electronic devices on the environment.

     SEC. 5. ENGINEERING CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT GRANTS.

       (a) Grant Program.--The Administrator, in consultation with 
     the Director of the National Science Foundation, shall award 
     grants to institutions of higher education to develop 
     curricula that incorporates the principles of environmental 
     design into the development of electronic devices--
       (1) for the training of electrical, mechanical, industrial, 
     manufacturing, materials, and software engineers and other 
     students at the undergraduate and graduate level; and
       (2) to support the continuing education of professionals in 
     the electronic device manufacturing, design, refurbishing, or 
     recycling industries.
       (b) Eligible Entities.--The term ``institution of higher 
     education'', as such term is used with respect to eligibility 
     to receive a grant under subsection (a)(2), includes any 
     institution of higher education under section 101(b) of the 
     Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(b)).
       (c) Outreach to Minority Serving Institutions.--The 
     Administrator shall conduct outreach to minority serving 
     institutions for the purposes of providing information on the 
     grants available under this section and how to apply for such 
     grants.
       (d) Merit Review; Competition.--Grants shall be awarded 
     under this section on a merit-reviewed, competitive basis.
       (e) Use of Funds.--Grants awarded under this section shall 
     be used for activities that enhance the ability of an 
     institution of higher education to broaden the undergraduate

[[Page H4608]]

     and graduate-level engineering curriculum or professional 
     continuing education curriculum to include environmental 
     engineering design principles and consideration of product 
     lifecycles related to electronic devices and increasing the 
     recyclability of such devices. Activities may include--
       (1) developing and revising curriculum to include 
     multidisciplinary elements;
       (2) creating research and internship opportunities for 
     students through partnerships with industry, nonprofit 
     organizations, or government agencies;
       (3) creating and establishing certificate programs; and
       (4) developing curricula for short courses and continuing 
     education for professionals in the environmental design of 
     electronic devices to increase the recyclability of such 
     devices.
       (f) Application.--An institution of higher education 
     seeking a grant under this section shall submit an 
     application to the Administrator at such time, in such 
     manner, and with such information and assurances as the 
     Administrator may require.
       (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this 
     section:
       (1) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2010.
       (2) $5,150,000 for fiscal year 2011.
       (3) $5,304,000 for fiscal year 2012.

     SEC. 6. ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS 
                   PHYSICAL PROPERTY DATABASE.

       (a) In General.--The Director shall establish an initiative 
     to develop a comprehensive physical property database for 
     environmentally friendly alternative materials for use in 
     electronic devices.
       (b) Priorities.--The Director, working with the electronic 
     device design, manufacturing, or recycling industries, shall 
     develop a strategic plan to establish priorities and the 
     physical property characterization requirements for the 
     database described in subsection (a).
       (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this 
     section:
       (1) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2010.
       (2) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2011.
       (3) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2012.

     SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.

       For the purposes of this Act:
       (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
     Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
       (2) Consortium.--The term ``consortium'' means a grant 
     applicant or recipient under section 3(a) that includes--
       (A) at least one institution of higher education, nonprofit 
     research institution, or government laboratory; and
       (B) at least one for-profit entity, including a 
     manufacturer, designer, refurbisher, or recycler of 
     electronic devices or the components of such devices.
       (3) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
     the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
       (4) Electronic device.--The term ``electronic device'' may 
     include computers, computer monitors, televisions, laptops, 
     printers, wireless devices, copiers, fax machines, stereos, 
     video gaming systems, and the components of such devices.
       (5) Institution of higher education.--The term 
     ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given 
     such term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 
     1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
       (6) Minority serving institution.--The term ``minority 
     serving institution'' means an institution that is an 
     eligible institution under section 371(a) of the Higher 
     Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mario Diaz-
Balart) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous material on H.R. 1580, the bill now under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Today I rise in support of H.R. 1580, the Electronic Device 
Recycling, Research and Development Act. This bill represents the first 
step forward on a large and growing problem. Every year Americans send 
millions of old cell phones, televisions, computers, laptops and other 
electronic devices to landfills. Millions more are stored in desk 
drawers and attics by consumers unsure of how to get rid of the old 
computer.
  These devices are often termed as electronic waste, but waste is 
hardly an appropriate name for these sophisticated products. Many can 
still be used. All can be recycled to recover their constituent 
materials. And as the Science and Technology Committee learned through 
a series of hearings, electronics also can contain hazardous materials 
like lead and cadmium, which do not belong in landfills.
  The Environmental Protection Agency reported that nearly 2 billion 
electronic products were sold between 1980 and 2004. Unfortunately, of 
the hundreds of millions of now unwanted products, only about 15 
percent are recycled. There are many hurdles to increasing this 
percentage, such as the cost of collecting and processing materials and 
the low value or the hazardous nature of many of the recoverable 
materials.
  The purpose of H.R. 1580 is to meet these challenges through research 
and development. The areas the bill addresses were identified through 
two Science and Technology Committee hearings held this Congress and 
last, and reflects the considerable input from the electronics 
producers, manufacturers, recyclers, refurbishers and the environmental 
interest community.
  It's supported by a broad number of stakeholders, including the 
Consumer Electronics Retailers Coalition, the Consumer Electronics 
Association, the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, The Wireless 
Association, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Electronics 
Take Back Coalition, Best Buy, AT&T, the Center for Environmental 
Health, Lower East Side Ecology Center, the Product Stewardship 
Institute, and the National Center for Electronics Recycling.
  I'm also pleased that this bill is the product of a bipartisan 
collaboration and contains the input of both Democratic and Republican 
members of our committee.
  H.R. 1580 directs the Environmental Protection Agency to fund the R&D 
that will enable efficient and affordable electronic device recycling 
and find other means of reducing the impact of electronic devices on 
our environment. Research can foster innovation to enable more 
efficient recycling, the selection of more environmentally friendly 
materials, better ways to educate consumers about electronics 
recycling, and methods to design products for easier disassembly and 
recycling.
  The research supported by H.R. 1580 will also assess the 
environmental impact of electronic products over their entire 
lifecycle. This information will allow electronic producers, 
policymakers and consumers to make wise environmental decisions.
  Specifically, the research grants authorized by this bill require 
university or government-led laboratories to work with electronics 
producers, recyclers or related for-profit entities. The goal of H.R. 
1580 is to ensure research that can be applied to this challenge as 
soon as possible.
  H.R. 1580 also authorizes the EPA, in consultation with the National 
Science Foundation, to fund grants that will give engineering students 
the tools and knowledge to incorporate environmental considerations 
into their future environmental endeavors.
  Electronic devices have become indispensable tools for modern living, 
but they, unfortunately, are a modern environmental problem, too. 
Research, development and innovation are a key component to addressing 
this environmental challenge. And I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 
1508.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much 
time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1580. I am pleased that 
this bill has been introduced and happy that our country will continue 
to be on the forefront of technology policy. The goals, frankly, of 
this bill are commendable as we struggle to limit the pollution and 
amount of waste that is being sent to our landfills.
  Obviously, there are a lot of issues to consider when we address 
disposal, recycling and the reuse of electronic equipment. First, we 
must consider what technologies are appropriate for reuse and 
recycling. Obviously, another consideration is the proper disposal of 
hazardous waste that accompanies electronics. And, finally, we must 
balance the costs and the benefits of the regulatory issues when you're 
dealing with export economies.
  Now, with each technological advance and each model replacement, we 
face the question of disposal of those

[[Page H4609]]

older products. This is a very complex situation which creates a vast 
array of opinions on possible solutions to the problems.
  Now, dealing with this problem is not insurmountable. With the right 
type of research and development, we can institute new ways of 
tracking, of sorting, recycling and reusing electronics, and by making 
them less hazardous from the design stage, from the beginning, before 
they're even being built, allow them to do less harm when we dispose of 
them later on in life. So I think this legislation is a move in the 
right direction to address these concerns.
  Through the committee process, Mr. Speaker, we've learned that there 
are a number of companies, many of them actually, that seek new uses 
for these products which obviously then reduces the number of them that 
end up in landfills. And I'm grateful to the chairman for introducing 
this legislation and also for holding hearings on this subject matter.
  So, again, lots of times we hear that legislation gets to the floor 
without going through the normal order, regular order. In this case, 
not only has that taken place, but the chairman has had hearings on it, 
and I think it's important.
  Now, again, I endorse the concept behind this bill, and I believe 
Congress should be encouraging better designs for electronic devices, 
to increase their life span and, obviously, to make them easier to 
recycle.
  But there are a few aspects of this bill that still I have some 
concerns with. One such concern comes from an amendment offered in 
committee requiring that the EPA publish the results of research and 
development projects authorized by this bill on its Web site. And of 
course that sounds like something we should all support, and we should.
  But here's the concern, that the copyright protections of the 
research published on the Web site may not be preserved. We should 
ensure that this is addressed prior to the bill finally being enacted 
into law. And I look forward to continuing to work with the chairman.
  Additionally, it was unclear from the bill's language whether, if 
there's more than one for-profit entity included in a consortium 
whether the total contribution from all for-profit entities is to be at 
least 10 percent, or if each for-profit member is to contribute at 
least 10 percent. It's not clear. So I appreciate the efforts of the 
chairman to clarify this in report language, and I hope that he would 
be willing to modify the legislative language itself, if necessary, to 
ensure that these issues are addressed. And, again, the chairman, I 
know, also has the same concerns because he's addressed it. But I think 
we need to address it a little bit further.
  I believe this bill takes steps towards addressing a very important 
issue. And I hope that this bill, as it moves forward, will continue to 
be tweaked a little bit to make sure that it's even better.
  So, again, I hope that we can get the best possible bill, the best 
possible legislation out of this. I commend the chairman.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the remaining part of my time.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, let me first thank my friend 
from Florida for his constructive advice. I think most of his concerns 
have been addressed in report language. But this is a continuing 
product. We want to get the best that we can. And we want to work with 
you and your compatriots as we go through the whole process. This is an 
important bill and a good bill.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my friend 
from California (Mr. Thompson). Mr. Thompson is the cochair of the 
Working Group on Electronic Waste, but more importantly, really is the 
leader in Congress on this issue. He has been a longtime advocate and 
we welcome his time.
  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your kind 
words and for recognizing me on this bill.
  Mr. Speaker and Members, I'm here today to speak in strong support of 
this measure, H.R. 1580. As the chairman noted, I've been involved in 
this subject of electronic waste or e-waste since I first came to 
Congress. And I want to applaud the chairman and the Science 
Committee's work and their interest on this very, very important issue. 
Chairman Gordon has been a strong leader on e-waste issues and has 
helped to move this issue forward.

                              {time}  1200

  Electronic product technology is moving at a very, very fast pace, 
but at the same time, it's creating an ever-growing environmental and 
waste disposal problem. That's because it's often cheaper or sometimes 
cooler to buy a new PC or a new cell phone than to upgrade an old one. 
Today, the average life span of a computer is only 2 years, and 
Americans are disposing of 3,000 tons of computers every day. These 
discarded items, more often than not, wind up in landfills in 
developing countries where the waste is a terrible environmental 
problem.
  A recent GAO study found that most e-waste exported from the U.S. is 
dismantled under unsafe conditions, often by children, using methods 
like open-air incineration and acid baths to extract component metals. 
This puts people at risk and makes e-waste a moral issue, a moral 
hazard as well.
  The bill we are considering today will achieve two important and 
necessary goals. First, it will establish grant programs to fund 
studies to evaluate how to make electronic equipment easier to recycle 
on the front end. Second, it will train our Nation's engineering 
students in ``green design.'' This important legislation will lay an 
important piece of the foundation for comprehensive e-waste legislation 
in the future. Truly, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. 
If obsolete computers and other such items can be diverted from the 
waste stream at the outset, half of our battle will already have been 
won.
  Again, I thank the chairman and the committee for their good work. I 
urge swift passage of this measure.
  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. If I may inquire, Mr. Speaker, of 
the chairman if he has further speakers.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. We have no further speakers.
  Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. At this time then, Mr. Speaker, I 
would like to yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Let me just conclude, Mr. Speaker, by saying 
this is a good bipartisan bill, and I thank Mr. Thompson for his 
support. As I say, he has been a leader on this issue.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1580.
  Many of us, whether at home or in our offices, have leftover 
electronics that eventually find their way to a dark closet corner or 
basement.
  If I took a poll of Members here, everyone would raise a hand to 
having an old computer, several old cell phones, and at least one old 
television. For those of us with children and grandchildren, that list 
probably grows to include first generation Nintendos, Gameboys, and Mp3 
players.
  Those of us that keep old electronics probably plan to give them 
away. Or, we buy the latest, most updated gadget without thinking of 
what to do with the old. We want to dump or donate the old PC, but we 
worry about what personal information may still be on its hard drive.
  H.R. 1580 takes the first step to address all of those issues, and 
study the prospects and concerns for abandoned electronics and their 
components stream.
  As we heard at our February 11th hearing, coordinated research and 
education efforts are needed to address disposal, product design, and 
in general, raise awareness of what opportunities consumers have to 
recycle un-used or what they consider ``obsolete'' equipment.
  A witness at that hearing, and constituent of mine, is one of the 
first certified Microsoft refurbishers in the country. Thanks to his 
hard work, forty thousand computers have been refurbished and 
distributed to schools, non-profits, and homes of at-risk children 
throughout the Chicago area.
  With the right research and development, and more business models 
like my constituent's, electronics recycling and refurbishment can be 
an integral part of our communities, decrease waste in our landfills, 
and offer budget-friendly alternatives for consumers. It is important 
to note that every dollar spent on refurbishment stays in the U.S.; 
every dollar spent on new products may not.
  I would like to thank Chairman Gordon for working with the members of 
the committee to improve H.R. 1580. Thanks to his cooperation, we were 
able to include an important change

[[Page H4610]]

from the term ``waste'' to ``device'' in the underlying text. Doing so 
sets a tone of reuse instead of disposal and lessens the opportunity 
for regulatory or legal hurdles to stall the refurbishing and recycling 
process that we are trying to promote.
  If we can institute new ways of tracking, sorting, recycling, and 
reusing electronics and make them less hazardous from the design stage, 
we can allow them to do less harm in the disposal stage. I think this 
legislation is a move in the right direction to address these concerns.
  Although I endorse the concept behind H.R. 1580 and believe Congress 
should be encouraging better designs for electronic devices to increase 
their life-span and make them easier to recycle, there are aspects of 
this bill that concern me.
  One such concern comes from an amendment offered in Committee 
requiring the Environmental Protection Agency to publish the results of 
research and development projects authorized by this bill on its 
website. The concern here is that the copyright protections of the 
research published on the website may not be preserved. We should 
ensure this is addressed prior to this bill being enacted into law.
  Additionally, it is unclear from the bill language whether if there 
is more than one for-profit entity included in a consortium whether the 
total contribution from all for-profit entities is to be at least ten 
(10) percent, or if each for-profit member is to contribute at least 
ten (10) percent. I appreciate the efforts of the Chairman to clarify 
this in report language and hope that he would be willing to modify the 
legislative language, if necessary, to ensure this issue is addressed.
  I believe this bill takes steps toward addressing a very important 
issue and I hope that moving forward we will continue to work together 
to ensure we produce the best law possible.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pastor of Arizona). The question is on 
the motion offered by the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) that 
the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1580, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``A bill to authorize the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to award grants 
for electronic device recycling research, development, and 
demonstration projects, and for other purposes.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________