Computers for Veterans and Students Act of 2018

Summary: Computers for Veterans and Students Act of 2018 or the COVS Act This bill directs federal agencies to offer, through the General Services Administration (GSA), to transfer surplus computers and technology equipment to nonprofit computer refurbishers for repair and distribution to educational institutions, veterans, disabled individuals, low-income individuals, students, and seniors in need.  Each nonprofit computer refurbisher to whom the GSA transfers a surplus computer or technology equipment must offer training programs for such an institution or individual on how to use the computer or equipment.  The bill prohibits the GSA from requiring that a nonprofit computer refurbisher repair and distribute any surplus computer or technology equipment within a specific period of time. 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Computers for Veterans and Students 
Act of 2018'' or the ``COVS Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Access to computers and computer technology are 
        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) In 1996, the President issued Executive Order 12999 
        instructing the General Services Administration (GSA) to allow 
        schools and nonprofits the ability to receive Federal surplus 
        computers for educational purposes.
            (3) GSA created the Computers for Learning Program, which 
        distributes approximately 30,000 computers and computer-related 
        equipment annually to public schools and nonprofits for reuse.
            (4) As a Federal program, Computers for Learning has lagged 
        in fulfilling its mission just as the need for computer access 
        for basic services and education has skyrocketed.
            (5) Computers for Learning has failed on three fronts 
        through waste (computers going to schools and nonprofits that 
        are not equipped to refurbish them), abuse (multiple cases of 
        theft or fraud in recent years), and inefficiency (schools and 
        nonprofits that lack the capacity to refurbish on a regional or 
        national scale).
            (6) Computers for Learning would benefit from increased 
        coordination by working directly with certified nonprofit 
        computer refurbishers, the majority of which are allied 
        together under the Alliance for Technology Reuse and 
        Refurbishing (AFTRR).
            (7) AFTRR members collectively refurbish and put over 
        90,000 computers back into the community annually from public 
        and privately donated equipment, closing the digital divide and 
        diverting millions of pounds of potential e-waste from 
        landfills.
            (8) Each AFTRR member has ``bridging the digital divide'' 
        at the core of their respective missions. Collectively, they 
        have decades of experience, capacity, and knowledge in not only 
        refurbishing computers, but also, distributing them to people 
        in need, with many providing low-cost internet access and 
        digital literacy training. AFTRR members have led the Nation in 
        bridging the digital divide for years, and in some cases, 
        decades.

SEC. 3. TRANSFER OF CERTAIN SURPLUS COMPUTERS AND TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT 
              TO NONPROFIT COMPUTER REFURBISHERS.

    (a) In General.--The head of a Federal agency, through the 
Administrator of General Services, shall offer to transfer any surplus 
computer or technology equipment that is not being used internally by 
the Federal agency, or has not been requested for use by another 
Federal agency, to a nonprofit computer refurbisher for repair and 
distribution to an educational institution, a veteran, an individual 
with a disability, a low-income individual, a student, or a senior in 
need (as determined by the nonprofit computer refurbisher).
    (b) Collaboration With Alliance for Technology Refurbishing and 
Reuse.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Administrator of General 
Services shall work directly with the Alliance for Technology 
Refurbishing and Reuse to establish a process through which surplus 
computers and technology equipment will be transferred to nonprofit 
computer refurbishers. Such process shall be established not later than 
60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (c) Return of Certain Computers and Equipment.--In the case in 
which the Administrator of General Services is not able to transfer a 
surplus computer or technology equipment to a nonprofit computer 
refurbisher within 30 days after offering to transfer such computer or 
equipment, the head of the Federal agency on whose behalf the 
Administrator of General Services acted shall dispose of such computer 
or equipment in accordance with the procedures of such agency regarding 
the disposal of Federal electronic assets.
    (d) Duties of Nonprofit Computer Refurbishers.--
            (1) Training programs.--Each nonprofit computer refurbisher 
        to whom the Administrator of General Services transfers a 
        surplus computer or technology equipment under subsection (a) 
        shall offer training programs for educational institutions, 
        veterans, individuals with disabilities, low-income 
        individuals, students, and seniors in need on the use of 
        computers and technology equipment.
            (2) Legal compliance.--Each nonprofit computer refurbisher 
        to whom the Administrator of General Services transfers a 
        surplus computer or technology equipment under subsection (a) 
        shall comply with any Federal, State, or local law relating to 
        the disposition of e-waste.
            (3) Annual reports to aftrr.--Each nonprofit computer 
        refurbisher to whom the Administrator of General Services 
        transfers a surplus computer or technology equipment under 
        subsection (a) shall submit an annual report to the Alliance 
        for Technology Refurbishing and Reuse on any surplus computer 
        or technology equipment repaired or distributed by such 
        refurbisher.
    (e) Prohibition Against Tracking and Time Limits.--Due to the 
unique condition of each surplus computer or technology equipment, the 
Administrator of General Services may not require a nonprofit computer 
refurbisher to repair and distribute any surplus computer or technology 
equipment within a specific timeframe.
    (f) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Educational institution.--The term ``educational 
        institution'' means--
                    (A) any public or private child care center, 
                preschool, elementary school, secondary school, or 
                accredited institution of vocational, professional, or 
                higher education; and
                    (B) in the case of an accredited institution of 
                vocational, professional, or higher education composed 
                of more than one school, college, or department that is 
                administratively a separate unit, each such school, 
                college, or department.
            (2) Nonprofit computer refurbisher.--The term ``nonprofit 
        computer refurbisher'' means a nonprofit organization--
                    (A) whose primary mission and activity is to bridge 
                the digital divide;
                    (B) that is exempt from taxation under section 501 
                of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and
                    (C) that is a member of the Alliance for Technology 
                Refurbishing and Reuse.
            (3) Senior.--The term ``senior'' means any individual who 
        is 65 years of age or older.
            (4) Student.--The term ``student'' means any individual 
        enrolled in an educational institution, excluding a public or 
        private child care center.
            (5) Technology equipment.--The term ``technology 
        equipment'' means physical assets related to computers and 
        information technology, including peripheral components, 
        tablets, communication devices (such as routers, servers, and 
        cell phones), printers, scanners, uninterruptible power 
        sources, and cables and connections.
            (6) Veteran.--The term ``veteran'' has the meaning given 
        that term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code.