Grace Hopper Code for Us Act

To establish a program to make grants to institutions of higher education to provide courses relating to critical legacy computer languages, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Grace Hopper Code for Us Act 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Authorizing committees The term authorizing committees 20 U.S.C. 1003 (2) Information system The term information system (3) Institution of higher education The term institution of higher education 20 U.S.C. 1001(a) (4) Secretary The term Secretary (5) State The term State 3. Report concerning critical legacy computer languages used by Federal Government (a) Report Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the authorizing committees a report identifying not fewer than 3 computer languages, in addition to COBOL, Assembly, and PL/I, and to be known as critical legacy computer languages (1) used by, and necessary to support the needs and national security of, the Federal Government; and (2) computer languages not commonly taught in a course at an institution of higher education. (b) Publication The Comptroller General shall make the report publicly available, including by publishing the report on the internet website of the Government Accountability Office. 4. Grace Hopper Sustainment and Modernization Grant Program (a) Establishment There is established a program to award grants to institutions of higher education, to be known as the Grace Hopper Sustainment and Modernization Grant Program (in this section referred to as the Program (b) Grants (1) In general During fiscal year 2024 and each of the 3 succeeding fiscal years, the Secretary annually shall award grants to 5 institutions of higher education to carry out the activities described in subsection (a). (2) 2-year institution of higher education For each fiscal year, at least 2 of the grants awarded under paragraph (1) shall be awarded to 2-year institutions of higher education that— (A) award an associate’s degree; or (B) offer university-based continuing education programs for information technology professionals. (c) Priorities When awarding grants under the Program, the Secretary will give priority to applications that— (1) demonstrate a plan to continue their efforts to carry out the activities described in subsection (a) after the end of the grant period; (2) demonstrate plans to recruit and include the participation of women and other under-represented minority groups; (3) demonstrate plans to engage with local students in grades 6 through 12 regarding career opportunities relating to critical legacy languages; (4) offer scholarship or other support, which may include books and supplies (including hardware, software, and connectivity), to students enrolled in projects supported by the Program; (5) incorporate perspectives into the challenges of modernizing legacy information technology systems from disciplines such as history, public policy, public administration, political science, business administration, management, economics, sociology, or other humanistic or social science disciplines; (6) address the extent to which the grant recipient intends to utilize and support open source technology and other best industry practices in software development, software maintenance, and software modernization in connection with the Program; and (7) demonstrate the ability to make agreements to place students in the projects funded by the grant in paid internships or similar arrangements with Federal, State, local, or private sector organizations where they can ensure that each such student works with computer programmers in maintaining, developing, or modernizing information systems utilizing critical legacy computer languages, with a preference for such placements lasting longer than 60 days. (d) Special rule related to geography Recipients of a grant under the Program may not be located in the same State. (e) Application To be eligible to receive a grant under the Program, an institution of higher education shall submit to the Secretary an application in such form, and containing such information, as the Secretary may require. (f) Grant amount The amount of a grant under this section may not exceed $5,000,000. (g) Period of a grant The period of a grant under this section may not exceed 3 years. (h) Reports (1) Annual reports by institutions of higher education Each institution of higher education that receives a grant under the Program shall annually submit to the Secretary a report on the activities pursued under the Program, including to the extent practical, the employment outcomes of students who complete the program (including earnings, job placement type, and employment rate). (2) Annual reports to Congress The Secretary shall annually submit to the authorizing committees a report relating to the use of grants awarded under the Program. The Secretary shall make each such report publicly available, including by publishing each such report on the internet website of the Department of Education. (i) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000 to carry out this section.

Summary: Grace Hopper Code for Us Act This bill establishes a program through which the Department of Education must award grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs) to develop and implement courses of instruction related to critical legacy computer languages (e.g., COBOL, Assembly, and PL/I). In addition, the Government Accountability Office must report on the critical legacy computer languages that (1) are used by the federal government, and (2) are not commonly taught in a course at an IHE.