I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3544 

To require the Administrator of General Services to transfer certain surplus 

computers and technology equipment to nonprofit computer refurbishers 

for repair, distribution, and return, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 25, 2021 

Ms. SPANBERGER (for herself, Mr. WITTMAN, and Mrs. LURIA) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform 

A BILL 

To require the Administrator of General Services to transfer 

certain surplus computers and technology equipment to 

nonprofit computer refurbishers for repair, distribution, 

and return, 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 ‘‘Computers for Vet5 erans and Students Act of 2021’’ or the ‘‘COVS Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) Access to computers and computer tech2 nology is indispensable for success in the 21st cen3 tury. Millions of Americans do not regularly use a 

4 computer and research shows that substantial dis5 parities remain in both internet use and the quality 

6 of access with the digital divide concentrated among 

7 older, less educated, less affluent populations, espe8 cially veterans, low-income students, and senior citi9 zens. 

10 (2) The COVID–19 pandemic has highlighted 

11 the gap between those with computer access and 

12 those without. Millions of students, their families, 

13 and workers from across the economy were unable to 

14 do schoolwork, work remotely from home, or be able 

15 to connect to loved ones and their communities be16 cause of the digital divide. 

17 (3) Any Federal program that distributes re18 tired Federal computers to a public school, an edu19 cational nonprofit, or a nonprofit computer refur20 bisher for repair and distribution would benefit from 

21 a partnership with a nonprofit organization, whose 

22 mission is bridging the digital divide. 


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1 SEC. 3. REFURBISHMENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF SURPLUS 

2 COMPUTERS AND TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT. 

3 (a) GSA TRANSFER.—On a quarterly basis, the Ad4 ministrator shall transfer to participating nonprofit com5 puter refurbishers surplus computer or technology equip6 ment that has been declared repairable as follows: 

7 (1) 40 percent for repair and distribution in ac8 cordance with subsection (c)(1). 

9 (2) 60 percent for repair and transfer in ac10 cordance with subsection (c)(2). 

11 (b) PARTNERSHIP.—The Administrator may estab12 lish a partnership with private entities to— 

13 (1) facilitate the identification of nonprofit com14 puter refurbishers and the distribution of surplus 

15 computer or technology equipment under this sec16 tion; and 

17 (2) facilitate the participation of nonprofit com18 puter refurbishers under this section. 

19 (c) REPAIR AND DISTRIBUTION.— 

20 (1) DISTRIBUTION TO BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DI21 VIDE.—A nonprofit computer refurbisher that re22 ceives equipment under subsection (a)(1) shall repair 

23 and distribute such equipment to an educational in24 stitution, a veteran, an individual with a disability, 

25 a low-income individual, a student, or a senior in 

26 need that is residing or based in the United States. 


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1 (2) DISTRIBUTION TO STATE AGENCIES

2 THROUGH GSA.—A nonprofit computer refurbisher 

3 that receives equipment under subsection (a)(2) 

4 shall repair and return the equipment to the Admin5 istrator for transfer under section 549 of title 40, 

6 United States Code. 

7 (3) INABILITY TO BE REUSED.—A nonprofit 

8 computer refurbisher shall transfer to the Adminis9 trator any equipment received under this subsection 

10 that is not possible to repair for reclassification 

11 under section 102–36.240 of title 41, Code of Fed12 eral Regulations. 

13 (4) TRAINING PROGRAMS.—Any nonprofit com14 puter refurbisher that receives any equipment under 

15 subsection (a)(1) shall offer training programs on 

16 the use of computers and technology equipment for 

17 any of the following: 

18 (A) Educational institutions. 

19 (B) Veterans. 

20 (C) Individuals with disabilities. 

21 (D) Low-income individuals. 

22 (E) Students. 

23 (F) Seniors. 

24 (d) REPORTS REQUIRED.—Not later than 1 year 

25 after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 2 


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1 years thereafter for the next 4 years, the Administrator 

2 shall submit to Congress a report on the efforts of the 

3 Administrator under this Act. 

4 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

5 (1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis6 trator’’ means the Administrator of General Serv7 ices. 

8 (2) DIGITAL DIVIDE.—The term ‘‘digital di9 vide’’ means the gap between those who have an 

10 internet-connected computer and the skills to use the 

11 computer and those who do not. Principle barriers to 

12 closing this gap include access to devices, afford13 ability, digital literacy, and access to broadband. 

14 (3) EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION.—The term 

15 ‘‘educational institution’’ means— 

16 (A) any public or private child care center, 

17 preschool, elementary school, secondary school, 

18 accredited institution of vocational or profes19 sional education, or institution of higher edu20 cation; and 

21 (B) in the case of an accredited institution 

22 of vocational or professional education or an in23 stitution of higher education composed of more 

24 than one school, college, or department that is 


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1 administratively a separate unit, each such 

2 school, college, or department. 

3 (4) FEDERAL AGENCY.—The term ‘‘Federal 

4 agency’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘federal 

5 agency’’ in section 102 of title 40, United States 

6 Code. 

7 (5) DISABILITY.—The term ‘‘disability’’ has the 

8 meaning given that term in section 3 of the Ameri9 cans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 

10 12102). 

11 (6) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 

12 term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 

13 meaning given that term in section 101 of the High14 er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 

15 (7) LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS.—The term ‘‘low 

16 income individual’’ has the meaning given such term 

17 in section 351 of the Small Business Investment Act 

18 of 1958 (15 U.S.C. 689). 

19 (8) NONPROFIT COMPUTER REFURBISHER.— 

20 The term ‘‘nonprofit computer refurbisher’’ means a 

21 nonprofit organization that primarily works to im22 prove access to information and communication 

23 technology in their mission to bridge the digital di24 vide. 


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1 (9) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.—The term 

2 ‘‘nonprofit organization’’ means an organization that 

3 is described under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal 

4 Revenue Code of 1986 and is exempt from taxation 

5 under section 501(a) of such Code. 

6 (10) REPAIRABLE.—The term ‘‘repairable’’ 

7 means property that is unusable but can be economi8 cally repaired. 

9 (11) SECONDARY SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘sec10 ondary school’’ has the meaning given such term in 

11 section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu12 cation Act of 1965. 

13 (12) SENIOR.—The term ‘‘senior’’ means an in14 dividual who is 65 years of age or older. 

15 (13) SENIOR IN NEED.—The term ‘‘senior in 

16 need’’ means a senior who experiences cultural, so17 cial, or geographical isolation that— 

18 (A) restricts the ability of the senior to 

19 perform normal daily tasks; or 

20 (B) threatens the capacity of the senior to 

21 live independently. 

22 (14) STUDENT.—The term ‘‘student’’ means 

23 any individual enrolled in an educational institution, 

24 but not a public or private child care center. 


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1 (15) SURPLUS COMPUTER OR TECHNOLOGY

2 EQUIPMENT.—The term ‘‘surplus computer or tech3 nology equipment’’ means computer or technology 

4 equipment that is property as described under sec5 tion 549(b)(2) of title 40, United States Code. 

6 (16) TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT.—The term 

7 ‘‘technology equipment’’ means any physical asset 

8 related to a computer or information technology, in9 cluding any peripheral component, tablet, commu10 nication device (such as a router, server, or cell 

11 phone), printer, scanner, uninterruptible power 

12 source, cable, or connection. 

13 (17) VETERAN.—The term ‘‘veteran’’ has the 

14 meaning given that term in section 101 of title 38, 

15 United States Code. 

16 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

17 There are authorized to be appropriated such funds 

18 as are necessary to carry out this Act. 

Æ 


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