I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 233 

To establish a grant and fee program through the Environmental Protection 

Agency to encourage and promote the recycling of used computers and 

to promote the development of a national infrastructure for the recycling 

of used computers, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 4, 2007 

Mr. THOMPSON of California introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To establish a grant and fee program through the Environmental Protection Agency to encourage and promote the 

recycling of used computers and to promote the development of a national infrastructure for the recycling of 

used computers, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Computer 

5 Recycling Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 For purposes of this Act— 


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1 (1) The term ‘‘Administrator’’ means the Ad2 ministrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. 

3 (2) The term ‘‘cathode ray tube’’ means a vacu4 um tube or picture tube used to convert an elec5 tronic signal into a visual image. 

6 (3) The term ‘‘central processing unit’’ includes 

7 a case and all of its contents, such as the primary 

8 printed circuit board and its components, additional 

9 printed circuit boards, one or more disc drives, a 

10 transformer, interior wire, and a power cord. 

11 (4) The term ‘‘computer’’ means an electronic, 

12 magnetic, optical, electrochemical, or other high 

13 speed data processing device performing logical, 

14 arithmetic, or storage functions, and may include 

15 both a central processing unit and a monitor, but 

16 such term does not include an automated typewriter 

17 or typesetter, a portable hand held calculator, or 

18 other similar device. 

19 (5) The term ‘‘hazardous waste’’ has the mean20 ing given that term in section 1004(5) of the Solid 

21 Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6903). 

22 (6) The term ‘‘monitor’’ means a separate vis23 ual display component of a computer, whether sold 

24 separately or together with a central processing unit, 

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1 play, its case, interior wires and circuitry, cable to 

2 the central processing unit, and power cord. 

3 (7) The term ‘‘nonprofit organization’’ means 

4 an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the 

5 Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax 

6 under section 501(a) of such Code. 

7 SEC. 3. FEE. 

8 (a) REQUIREMENT.—Effective 180 days after the 

9 transmittal to the Congress of the results of the study con10 ducted under section 6(a), the Administrator shall require 

11 that a fee be assessed on the sale (including a sale through 

12 the Internet or a catalogue) to an end-user of any com13 puter, monitor, or other electronic device designated by 

14 the Administrator under subsection (c). The Adminis15 trator shall establish procedures for the collection of such 

16 fee. The requirement under this subsection shall not apply 

17 to a sale by an end-user to a subsequent end-user. 

18 (b) FEE AMOUNT.—The amount of the fee required 

19 under subsection (a) shall— 

20 (1) be an amount sufficient to cover the costs 

21 of carrying out section 4(a) and subsection (c) of 

22 this section; 

23 (2) be uniform— 


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1 (A) for each computer with a central proc2 essing unit and monitor integrated in a single 

3 device; 

4 (B) for each central processing unit; 

5 (C) for each monitor; and 

6 (D) for each class of other devices des7 ignated by the Administrator under subsection 

8 (c); 

9 (3) not exceed $10 per computer, monitor, or 

10 other designated device; and 

11 (4) be clearly indicated on the label, external 

12 packing materials, or sales receipt of the computer, 

13 monitor, or device. 

14 (c) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—Persons required by 

15 the Administrator to collect a fee under this section may 

16 retain 3 percent of amounts so collected to pay the costs 

17 of administering the fee collection program. 

18 (d) EXEMPTED SALES.—The requirement of a fee 

19 under this section shall not apply to a sale of a used com20 puter, monitor, or device by a nonprofit organization. 

21 (e) ADDITIONAL EXEMPTION.—The Administrator 

22 may exempt from the requirement of a fee under this sec23 tion any sale made under a contract or an arrangement 

24 that the Administrator determines is likely to result in the 

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1 puter, monitor, or device, and the disposal of the remain2 ing components— 

3 (1) in an environmentally sound and responsible 

4 manner; 

5 (2) without violation of any Federal or State 

6 law; and 

7 (3) without reliance on funding from State or 

8 local governments, 

9 when the computer, monitor, or device is no longer of use 

10 to the end-user. 

11 (f) DESIGNATION OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES.—The 

12 Administrator may designate additional electronic devices 

13 to which the fee under subsection (a) shall apply if those 

14 electronic devices— 

15 (1) contain a significant amount of material 

16 that, when disposed of, would be hazardous waste; 

17 and 

18 (2) include one or more liquid crystal displays, 

19 cathode ray tubes, or circuit boards. 

20 SEC. 4. GRANTS. 

21 (a) USES OF FEE AMOUNTS.—Amounts collected 

22 under section 3 shall be used, to the extent provided in 

23 advance in appropriations Acts, by the Administrator 

24 for— 


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1 (1) covering the costs of administration of this 

2 Act; and 

3 (2) making grants under subsection (b). 

4 Not more than 10 percent of the funds available pursuant 

5 to this Act for any fiscal year may be used for costs de6 scribed in paragraph (1). 

7 (b) GRANT PURPOSES.—The Administrator shall 

8 make grants with funds collected under section 3 to indi9 viduals or organizations (including units of local govern10 ment) for— 

11 (1) collecting or processing used computers, 

12 monitors, or other designated devices for recycling 

13 purposes; 

14 (2) reusing or reselling such computers, mon15 itors, or devices, or components thereof; and 

16 (3) extracting and using, or selling for reuse, 

17 raw materials from such computers, monitors, or de18 vices. 

19 (c) ELIGIBILITY.—An individual or organization shall 

20 be eligible for a grant under subsection (b) only if the indi21 vidual or organization provides assurances to the satisfac22 tion of the Administrator that it will carry out the grant 

23 purposes in a manner that complies with all applicable 

24 Federal and State environmental and health laws. 


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1 (d) SELECTION CRITERIA.—In selecting proposals for 

2 grants under subsection (b), the Administrator shall con3 sider— 

4 (1) the quantity of used computers, monitors, 

5 or other designated devices that will be diverted 

6 from landfills; 

7 (2) the estimated cost per unit of the collection, 

8 processing, reuse, or sale proposed; 

9 (3) the availability of, and potential for, mar10 kets for recycled materials; 

11 (4) the degree to which the proposal mitigates 

12 or avoids harmful environmental or health effects; 

13 (5) the degree to which the proposal employs 

14 innovative recycling technologies; and 

15 (6) the demonstrated history of the grant appli16 cant in disposing of or providing for the reuse of 

17 computers, monitors, or devices in an environ18 mentally sound and responsible manner without vio19 lation of any Federal or State law. 

20 The Administrator shall ensure that grants are provided 

21 to a geographically diverse group of recipients. 

22 SEC. 5. CONSULTATION. 

23 In carrying out this Act, the Administrator shall con24 sult with representatives of the computer manufacturing, 

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1 sionals, environmental and consumer groups, and other 

2 appropriate individuals and organizations (including units 

3 of local government). 

4 SEC. 6. STUDY AND REPORTS. 

5 (a) STUDY.—Not later than 6 months after the date 

6 of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 

7 transmit to the Congress the results of a study that— 

8 (1) identifies waste materials in used computers 

9 that may be hazardous to human health or the envi10 ronment; 

11 (2) estimates the quantities of such materials 

12 that exist or will exist in the future, including a sep13 arate estimate of the quantities of such materials 

14 that are exported from the United States; 

15 (3) estimates the costs of transporting, col16 lecting, and processing computers, monitors, and 

17 other designated devices; 

18 (4) describes current management of such 

19 waste materials; 

20 (5) makes recommendations for the manage21 ment of electronic products containing such waste 

22 materials at the end of their useful lives; and 

23 (6) estimates the demand for materials from re24 cycled computers, and make recommendations for 

25 increasing the markets for such materials. 


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1 (b) REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

2 of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 

3 4 additional years, the Administrator shall transmit to the 

4 Congress a report on the status of computer recycling. 

5 Such report shall include a description of the amount of 

6 fees collected under section 3, and a description of the 

7 amount of administrative costs paid for and grants made 

8 under section 4 with funds collected through such fees. 

Æ 


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