I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6134 

To establish a National TechCorps program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 22, 2016 

Mr. BERA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on 

Oversight and Government Reform, and Ways and Means, for a period 

to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 

concerned 

A BILL 

To establish a National TechCorps program, 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 ‘‘TechCorps Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. OPM DATABASE OF TECHCORPS-ELIGIBLE POSI6 TIONS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after the 

8 date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office 

9 of Personnel Management shall establish and maintain an 


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1 electronic database of job vacancies across the Govern2 ment relating to information technology. The Director 

3 shall consult with each Federal agency in establishing and 

4 periodically updating the database. 

5 (b) PUBLICATION.—The database of vacant positions 

6 described under subsection (a) shall be published and 

7 available on the USA Jobs Internet Web site, and each 

8 position in the database shall be described on such Web 

9 site as a ‘‘TechCorps-eligible position’’. 

10 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF TECHCORPS. 

11 Section 122(a) of the National and Community Serv12 ice Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12572(a)) is amended by add13 ing at the end the following: 

14 ‘‘(6) TECHCORPS.—The Corporation shall enter 

15 into an interagency agreement (other than a grant 

16 agreement) with another Federal agency under sec17 tion 121(b) to carry out a TechCorps program under 

18 which— 

19 ‘‘(A) individuals apply to service as a 

20 TechCorps member— 

21 ‘‘(i) prior to graduating from a pro22 gram of study at institution of education 

23 leading to degree or certificate relating to 

24 information technology, but not earlier 


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1 than the last academic year of such pro2 gram of study; or 

3 ‘‘(ii) after graduating from such a 

4 program of study; 

5 ‘‘(B) individuals described in subparagraph 

6 (A)(i) are recruited not earlier than the last 

7 academic year of their program of study; 

8 ‘‘(C) individuals described in subparagraph 

9 (A) desiring to serve as TechCorps members 

10 shall commit to employment with the Federal 

11 agency in a job relating to information tech12 nology for not less than a 2-year period; and 

13 ‘‘(D) upon receiving and accepting such 

14 employment, such an individual shall be a 

15 TechCorps member, which membership may not 

16 exceed a 4-year period.’’. 

17 SEC. 4. LOAN DEFERMENT AND LOAN FORGIVENESS. 

18 (a) LOAN DEFERMENT.—Section 455(f)(2) of the 

19 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e) is 

20 amended— 

21 (1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘or’’ at 

22 the end; 

23 (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period 

24 at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 

25 (3) by adding at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘(E) during which the borrower is serving 

2 as a TechCorps member under section 

3 122(a)(6) of the National and Community Serv4 ice Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12572(a)(6)).’’. 

5 (b) LOAN FORGIVENESS.—Part D of title IV of the 

6 Higher Education Act of 1965 is amended by adding at 

7 the end the following: 

8 ‘‘SEC. 460A. LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR TECHCORPS MEM9 BERS. 

10 ‘‘(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary shall 

11 carry out a program of canceling the obligation to repay 

12 a qualified loan amount in accordance with subsection (b) 

13 for loans made under this part to any borrower— 

14 ‘‘(1) who has served as a TechCorps member 

15 under section 122(a)(6) of the National and Com16 munity Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12572(a)(6)) 

17 for not less than a 2-year period; and 

18 ‘‘(2) is not in default on any loans for which 

19 the borrower seeks forgiveness. 

20 ‘‘(b) QUALIFIED LOAN AMOUNT.— 

21 ‘‘(1) 2 YEARS OF SERVICE.—The Secretary 

22 shall cancel an amount equal to 50 percent of the 

23 loan obligation on any loans made under this part 

24 to a borrower described in subsection (a) that are 


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1 outstanding after the borrower’s completion of 2 

2 years of service as TechCorps member. 

3 ‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL YEARS OF SERVICE.—With 

4 respect to a borrower who receives the loan cancella5 tion under paragraph (1), and serves an additional 

6 year or two additional years as TechCorps member 

7 upon the completion of such 2-year service, the Sec8 retary shall cancel an amount equal to 25 percent of 

9 the loan obligation on any loans made under this 

10 part to the borrower that are outstanding after the 

11 borrower’s completion of each such additional year 

12 of service. 

13 ‘‘(3) MAXIMUM AMOUNT.—The aggregate loan 

14 obligation of a borrower that may be cancelled under 

15 this section may not exceed the amount equal to the 

16 maximum aggregate amount of Federal Direct Staf17 ford Loans and Federal Direct Unsubsidized Staf18 ford Loans that may be awarded to a dependent stu19 dent under this part. 

20 ‘‘(c) TAX TREATMENT.—The amount of a loan, and 

21 interest on a loan, which is canceled under this section 

22 shall not be considered income for purposes of the Internal 

23 Revenue Code of 1986. 


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1 ‘‘(d) PREVENTION OF DOUBLE BENEFITS.—No bor2 rower may, for the same voluntary service, receive a ben3 efit under both this section and— 

4 ‘‘(1) section 428K; 

5 ‘‘(2) section 455(m); or 

6 ‘‘(3) subtitle D of title I of the National and 

7 Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12601 

8 et seq.).’’. 

9 SEC. 5. GAO STUDY ON IT STAFFING NEEDS OF THE FED10 ERAL GOVERNMENT. 

11 Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 

12 of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 

13 shall— 

14 (1) study the projected staffing needs for jobs 

15 related to information technology in the Federal 

16 Government during the 10-year period beginning on 

17 the date of enactment of this Act, including the 

18 number of such jobs that will become available or 

19 will be created during such period; and 

20 (2) submit to Congress the results of such 

21 study. 

Æ 


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