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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5331 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5331

    To create a National Science Foundation scholarship-for-service 
            Humanitarian Tech Corps, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 14, 2024

   Mr. Welch introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
    To create a National Science Foundation scholarship-for-service 
            Humanitarian Tech Corps, 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 ``Humanitarian Tech Corps Act''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that the Federal Government must 
broadly invest in the technological innovation and talent pipeline of 
the United States, in a manner that is beyond traditional focus areas, 
in order to--
            (1) develop public interest technology expertise; and
            (2) ensure Federal agencies, especially agencies tasked 
        with critical humanitarian missions, have the capacity to 
        uniquely and meaningfully leverage leading-edge technology to 
        improve their operations.

SEC. 3. FEDERAL HUMANITARIAN TECHNOLOGY SCHOLARSHIP-FOR-SERVICE 
              PROGRAM.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
        Development.
            (2) Covered degree.--The term ``covered degree'' means a 
        baccalaureate or postgraduate degree that is in--
                    (A) computer science;
                    (B) data science or data analytics; or
                    (C) any other science, technology, engineering, or 
                mathematics field that, as determined by the 
                Administrator under subsection (j)(1)(A) and shared 
                with the Director for program facilitation, enables 
                humanitarian operations and technology-related 
                modernization efforts.
            (3) Covered position.--The term ``covered position'', when 
        used with respect to a scholarship recipient, means a position 
        of employment (including a civil service or foreign service 
        position with a qualifying agency)--
                    (A) for which the scholarship recipient is 
                qualified;
                    (B) that--
                            (i) requires a covered degree; or
                            (ii) does not explicitly require a covered 
                        degree but, as determined by the Administrator 
                        under subsection (j)(1)(A)(ii) and shared with 
                        the Director for program facilitation, directly 
                        supports strictly humanitarian operations, such 
                        as an analysis, management, or executive 
                        position or another operational position that 
                        provides such direct support; and
                    (C) that is with a qualifying agency or a 
                qualifying organization or nongovernmental agency.
            (4) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the National Science Foundation.
            (5) Eligible student.--The term ``eligible student'' means 
        an individual who--
                    (A) is a citizen of the United States; and
                    (B) is a full-time student enrolled in a program of 
                study leading to a covered degree at a qualifying 
                institution.
            (6) Humanitarian tech corps scholarship.--The term 
        ``Humanitarian Tech Corps scholarship'' means a scholarship 
        described in subsection (c )(1).
            (7) Qualifying agency.--The term ``qualifying agency'' 
        means--
                    (A) the United States Agency for International 
                Development; or
                    (B) another agency, as determined by the 
                Administrator under subsection (j)(1)(B) and shared 
                with the Director for program facilitation.
            (8) Qualifying institution.--The term ``qualifying 
        institution'' means an institution of higher education, as 
        defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
        (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
            (9) Qualifying organization or nongovernmental agency.--The 
        term ``qualifying organization or nongovernmental agency'' 
        means an organization or nongovernmental agency identified by 
        the Administrator under subsection (j)(1)(C) and shared with 
        the Director for program facilitation.
            (10) Scholarship recipient.--The term ``scholarship 
        recipient'' means an eligible student who receives a 
        Humanitarian Tech Corps scholarship and enters into an 
        agreement under subsection (e).
    (b) Program Established.--The Director, in coordination with the 
Director of the Office of Personnel Management and the Administrator, 
shall establish a Federal humanitarian technology scholarship-for-
service program (referred to in this section as the ``Humanitarian Tech 
Corps Program'') to recruit and train the next generation of 
professionals needed to meet the humanitarian technology needs of the 
Federal Government.
    (c) Program Description and Components.--The Humanitarian Tech 
Corps Program shall--
            (1) award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to 
        qualifying institutions of higher education to enable the 
        qualifying institutions to provide Humanitarian Tech Corps 
        scholarships to eligible students;
            (2) in consultation with the United States Agency for 
        International Development, provide the scholarship recipients 
        with summer internship opportunities or other meaningful 
        temporary appointments serving humanitarian purposes in 
        qualifying agencies or qualifying organizations or 
        nongovernmental agencies; and
            (3) prioritize the placement of scholarship recipients 
        fulfilling the post-award employment obligation under this 
        section in covered positions in a manner that ensures--
                    (A) for not less than the first year of such post-
                award employment obligation required under subsection 
                (e)(1)(A), all scholarship recipients are placed in a 
                covered position with a qualifying agency; and
                    (B) that after the completion of the first year of 
                such employment obligation, scholarship recipients may 
                obtain employment in covered positions at a qualifying 
                organization or nongovernmental agency.
    (d) Scholarship Amounts; Scholarship Recipient Selection.--
            (1) Scholarship amounts.--Each Humanitarian Tech Corps 
        scholarship shall be in an amount that covers the scholarship 
        recipient's tuition and fees at the qualifying institution 
        under subsection (c)(1) for not more than 4 years and provides 
        the scholarship recipient with an additional living stipend.
            (2) Selection.--In selecting eligible students to receive 
        Humanitarian Tech Corps scholarships, a qualifying institution 
        participating in the Humanitarian Tech Corps program shall not 
        exclusively consider the technical background or prior 
        education of the eligible students, but shall also take into 
        consideration other experiences of the eligible students that 
        may transfer well to humanitarian work.
    (e) Agreement.--
            (1) In general.--As a condition of receiving a Humanitarian 
        Tech Corps scholarship, an eligible student shall enter into an 
        agreement with the qualifying institution providing the 
        scholarship under which the eligible student receiving the 
        scholarship--
                    (A) agrees to work for a period equal to the 
                duration of the scholarship, following receipt of the 
                student's degree, in a covered position;
                    (B) accepts and acknowledges the conditions of 
                support under paragraph (2); and
                    (C) accepts the repayment requirements under 
                subsection (f) and all other terms and conditions of 
                the Humanitarian Tech Corps scholarship.
            (2) Conditions of support.--
                    (A) Provision of documentation and contact 
                information.--As a condition of receiving a 
                Humanitarian Tech Corps scholarship, an eligible 
                student shall agree to provide the Office of Personnel 
                Management (in coordination with the National Science 
                Foundation) and the qualifying institution with annual 
                verifiable documentation of post-award employment and 
                up-to-date contact information.
                    (B) Other conditions.--A scholarship recipient 
                shall be liable to the United States as provided under 
                subsection (f) if the individual--
                            (i) fails to maintain an acceptable level 
                        of academic standing, as determined by the 
                        Director, at the applicable qualifying 
                        institution;
                            (ii) is dismissed from such qualifying 
                        institution for disciplinary reasons;
                            (iii) withdraws from the covered degree 
                        program before completing the program;
                            (iv) declares that the individual does not 
                        intend to fulfill the post-award employment 
                        obligation under this section;
                            (v) fails to maintain or fulfill any of the 
                        post-graduation or post-award obligations or 
                        requirements of the individual; or
                            (vi) fails to fulfill the requirements of 
                        subparagraph (A).
    (f) Repayment.--
            (1) Amount of repayment.--
                    (A) Less than 1 year of service.--If a circumstance 
                described in subsection (e)(2)(B) occurs before the 
                completion of 1 year of a post-award employment 
                obligation under this section, the total amount of 
                scholarship awards received by the individual under 
                this section shall--
                            (i) be repaid; or
                            (ii) be treated as a loan to be repaid in 
                        accordance with paragraph (3).
                    (B) 1 or more years of service.--If a circumstance 
                described in clause (iv) or (v) of subsection (e)(2)(B) 
                occurs after the completion of 1 or more years of a 
                post-award employment obligation under this section, 
                the total amount of scholarship awards received by the 
                individual under this section, reduced by the ratio of 
                the number of years of service completed divided by the 
                number of years of service required, shall--
                            (i) be repaid; or
                            (ii) be treated as a loan to be repaid in 
                        accordance with paragraph (3).
            (2) Collection of repayment.--
                    (A) In general.--In the event that a scholarship 
                recipient is required to repay a Humanitarian Tech 
                Corps scholarship award, the qualifying institution 
                providing the scholarship shall--
                            (i) determine the repayment amount and 
                        notify the recipient, the Director, and the 
                        Director of the Office of Personnel Management 
                        of the amount owed; and
                            (ii) collect the repayment amount within a 
                        reasonable period of time, as determined by the 
                        Director, or treat the repayment amount as a 
                        loan in accordance with paragraph (3).
                    (B) Returned to treasury.--
                            (i) In general.--Except as provided in 
                        clause (ii), any repayment collected under this 
                        paragraph shall be returned to the Treasury of 
                        the United States.
                            (ii) Retained percentage.--A qualifying 
                        institution may retain a percentage of any 
                        repayment the institution collects under this 
                        subsection to defray administrative costs 
                        associated with the collection. The Director 
                        shall establish a single, fixed percentage that 
                        will apply to all qualifying institutions of 
                        higher education under this section.
            (3) Loan treatment.--A loan described in subparagraph 
        (A)(ii) or (B)(ii) of paragraph (1) shall--
                    (A) be treated as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized 
                Stafford Loan under part D of title IV of the Higher 
                Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087a et seq.); and
                    (B) be subject to repayment, together with interest 
                thereon accruing from the date of the scholarship 
                award, in accordance with terms and conditions 
                specified by the Director (in consultation with the 
                Secretary of Education) in regulations promulgated to 
                carry out this subsection.
            (4) Exceptions.--The Director may provide for the partial 
        or total waiver or suspension of any service or payment 
        obligation by a scholarship recipient--
                    (A) whenever compliance by the scholarship 
                recipient with the obligation is impossible or would 
                involve extreme hardship to the scholarship recipient; 
                or
                    (B) if enforcement of such obligation with respect 
                to the scholarship recipient would be unconscionable.
    (g) Monitoring Compliance.--As a condition of participating in the 
program, a qualifying institution shall--
            (1) enter into an agreement with the Director to monitor 
        the compliance of scholarship recipients with respect to their 
        post-award employment obligations; and
            (2) provide to the Director and the Director of the Office 
        of Personnel Management, on an annual basis, the post-award 
        employment documentation required under subsection (e)(2)(A) 
        for scholarship recipients supported by the qualifying 
        institution, during the period beginning upon the receipt of 
        the Humanitarian Tech Corps scholarship and ending upon the 
        completion of the scholarship recipient's post-award employment 
        obligations.
    (h) Hiring Authority.--
            (1) Appointment in excepted service.--Notwithstanding any 
        provision of chapter 33 of title 5, United States Code, 
        governing appointments in the competitive service, a qualifying 
        agency shall appoint in the excepted service an individual who 
        has completed the eligible degree program for which a 
        scholarship was awarded.
            (2) Noncompetitive conversion.--Except as provided in 
        paragraph (4), upon fulfillment of the service term, an 
        employee appointed under paragraph (1) may be converted 
        noncompetitively to term, career-conditional, or career 
        appointment.
            (3) Timing of conversion.--A qualifying agency may 
        noncompetitively convert a term employee appointed under 
        paragraph (2) to a career-conditional or career appointment 
        before the term appointment expires.
            (4) Authority to decline conversion.--A qualifying agency 
        may decline to make the noncompetitive conversion or 
        appointment under paragraph (2) for cause.
    (i) Public Information.--
            (1) Evaluation.--The Director, in coordination with the 
        Director of the Office of Personnel Management, shall 
        periodically evaluate and make public, in a manner that 
        protects the personally identifiable information of scholarship 
        recipients, information on the success of recruiting 
        individuals for scholarships under this section and on hiring 
        and retaining those individuals in the humanitarian technology 
        workforce, including information on--
                    (A) placement rates;
                    (B) where students are placed, including job titles 
                and descriptions;
                    (C) salary ranges for students not released from 
                obligations under this section;
                    (D) how long after graduation students are placed;
                    (E) how long students stay in the positions they 
                enter upon graduation;
                    (F) how many students are released from 
                obligations; and
                    (G) what, if any, remedial training is required.
            (2) Reports.--The Director, in coordination with the Office 
        of Personnel Management, shall submit, not less frequently than 
        once every 2 years, to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
        Transportation and the Committee on Homeland Security and 
        Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on 
        Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on Oversight 
        and Accountability of the House of Representatives, a report 
        that includes--
                    (A) the results of the evaluation under paragraph 
                (1);
                    (B) an explanation of any disparity in reporting 
                between scholarship recipients and their respective 
                qualifying institutions; and
                    (C) any recent statistics regarding the size, 
                composition, and educational requirements of the 
                Federal humanitarian technology workforce.
            (3) Resources.--The Director, in coordination with the 
        Director of the Office of Personnel Management, shall provide 
        consolidated and user-friendly online resources for prospective 
        scholarship recipients, including, to the extent practicable--
                    (A) searchable, up-to-date, and accurate 
                information about participating qualifying institutions 
                and job opportunities related to Humanitarian Tech 
                Corps scholarships; and
                    (B) a description of humanitarian careers for 
                science, technology, mathematics, or engineering 
                students.
    (j) Administrative Responsibilities.--
            (1) USAID administrator duties.--
                    (A) Decisions regarding humanitarian operations.--
                By not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 
                of this Act, the Administrator, after consultation with 
                the Director, shall--
                            (i) define the concepts of ``humanitarian 
                        operations'' and ``technological modernization 
                        efforts'' for purposes of subsection (a)(2)(C);
                            (ii) determine which positions directly 
                        support humanitarian operations for purposes of 
                        subsection (a)(3)(B)(ii); and
                            (iii) identify the covered degrees that the 
                        Administrator determines meet the requirements 
                        of subsection (a)(2)(C).
                    (B) Identification of qualifying agencies.--
                            (i) In general.--By not later than 180 days 
                        after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
                        Administrator, after consultation with the 
                        Director, shall identify any other agency, 
                        entity, office, or commission that the 
                        Administrator determines is a qualifying agency 
                        for purposes of subsection (a)(7)(B).
                            (ii) Requirements.--The Administrator shall 
                        identify an agency, entity, office, or 
                        commission as a qualifying agency if--
                                    (I) the agency, entity, office or 
                                commission is--
                                            (aa) an Executive agency, 
                                        as defined in section 101 of 
                                        title 5, United States Code, 
                                        with humanitarian initiatives; 
                                        or
                                            (bb) an agency, entity, 
                                        office, or commission with 
                                        humanitarian initiatives that 
                                        is established in the 
                                        legislative or judicial branch 
                                        of the Federal Government; and
                                    (II) the Administrator determines 
                                such identification is appropriate to 
                                meet the humanitarian operations needs 
                                of the Federal Government.
                            (iii) Special consideration.--In making the 
                        determination under clause (ii)(II) with 
                        respect to an agency, entity, office, or 
                        commission, the Administrator shall give 
                        special consideration to the domestic relief 
                        work carried out by the agency, entity, office, 
                        or commission.
                    (C) Identification of qualifying organizations or 
                nongovernmental agencies.--
                            (i) In general.--By not later than 180 days 
                        after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
                        Administrator, after consultation with the 
                        Director, shall identify organizations and 
                        nonprofit agencies that qualify to participate 
                        in the Humanitarian Tech Corps program, in 
                        accordance with subsection (a)(9) and based on 
                        the criteria described in clause (ii).
                            (ii) Requirements.--In order to be 
                        qualified for purposes of clause (i), an 
                        organization or nonprofit agency shall--
                                    (I) be a partner of the United 
                                States Agency for International 
                                Development;
                                    (II) serve humanitarian objectives; 
                                and
                                    (III) meet any other requirements 
                                determined necessary by the 
                                Administrator to achieve the purposes 
                                of this section.
                    (D) Provision of assistance to the director.--By 
                not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
                this Act, the Administrator shall provide the Director 
                with--
                            (i) the definitions described in 
                        subparagraph (A)(i);
                            (ii) a list of the covered degrees in 
                        accordance with subparagraph (A)(iii);
                            (iii) a list of the qualifying agencies 
                        identified under subparagraph (B); and
                            (iv) a list of the organizations and 
                        nonprofit agencies identified as qualifying 
                        organizations or nongovernmental agencies under 
                        subparagraph (C).
                    (E) Updates.--On not less than an annual basis, the 
                Administrator shall--
                            (i) review the determinations made under 
                        subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C);
                            (ii) update any such determinations as 
                        needed; and
                            (iii) provide any such updated 
                        determinations, or updated definitions or lists 
                        described in subparagraph (D), to the Director.
                    (F) Additional assistance.--In addition to the 
                assistance provided under subparagraphs (A) through 
                (E), the Administrator shall, upon request by the 
                Director, assist the Director with respect to any other 
                aspects of the Humanitarian Tech Corps scholarship 
                program that relate to humanitarian operations, in 
                order to enable the Director to be able to focus on 
                technology talent pipeline development through the 
                program.
            (2) Director duties.--The Director shall annually consult 
        with the Administrator--
                    (A) regarding the implementation of the 
                Humanitarian Tech Corps scholarship program; and
                    (B) to review--
                            (i) the scholarship recipient selection 
                        process for the preceding year; and
                            (ii) the ability of the United States 
                        Agency for International Development to provide 
                        recommendations regarding the Humanitarian Tech 
                        Corps program to the National Science 
                        Foundation for future selection cycles.
                                 <all>
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