I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1165
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 
MARCH 6, 2003
Mr. THOMPSON of California (for himself, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. HINCHEY, 
Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. FILNER, Mr. QUINN, Mr. 
BROWN of Ohio, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. NORTON, Mrs. DAVIS of Cali-
fornia, Mr. STARK, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. HONDA, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. 
BLUMENAUER, 
Ms. 
DELAURO, 
Ms. 
LEE, 
Mr. 
PASCRELL, 
Ms. 
SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. ROTHMAN, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. OWENS, Ms. BORDALLO, 
Mr. ENGEL, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mr. GILCHREST, and Ms. 
ESHOO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To establish a grant and fee program through the Environ-
mental Protection Agency to encourage and promote the 
recycling of used computers and to promote the develop-
ment of a national infrastructure for the recycling of 
used computers, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Computer 
Recycling Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
For purposes of this Act—
(1) the term ‘‘Administrator’’ means the Ad-
ministrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; 
(2) the term ‘‘cathode ray tube’’ means a vacu-
um tube or picture tube used to convert an elec-
tronic signal into a visual image; 
(3) the term ‘‘central processing unit’’ includes 
a case and all of its contents, such as the primary 
printed circuit board and its components, additional 
printed circuit boards, one or more disc drives, a 
transformer, interior wire, and a power cord; 
(4) the term ‘‘computer’’ means an electronic, 
magnetic, optical, electrochemical, or other high 
speed data processing device performing logical, 
arithmetic, or storage functions, and may include 
both a central processing unit and a monitor, but 
such term does not include an automated typewriter 
or typesetter, a portable hand held calculator, or 
other similar device; 
(5) the term ‘‘hazardous waste’’ has the mean-
ing given that term in section 1004(5) of the Solid 
Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6903);
(6) the term ‘‘monitor’’ means a separate visual 
display component of a computer, whether sold sepa-
rately or together with a central processing unit, and 
includes a cathode ray tube or liquid crystal display, 
its case, interior wires and circuitry, cable to the 
central processing unit, and power cord; and 
(7) the term ‘‘nonprofit organization’’ means an 
organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax 
under section 501(a) of such Code. 
SEC. 3. FEE. 
(a) REQUIREMENT.—Effective 180 days after the 
transmittal to the Congress of the results of the study con-
ducted under section 6(a), the Administrator shall require 
that a fee be assessed on the sale (including a sale through 
the Internet or a catalogue) to an end-user of any com-
puter, monitor, or other electronic device designated by 
the Administrator under subsection (c). The Adminis-
trator shall establish procedures for the collection of such 
fee. The requirement under this subsection shall not apply 
to a sale by an end-user to a subsequent end-user. 
(b) FEE AMOUNT.—The amount of the fee required 
under subsection (a) shall—
(1) be an amount sufficient to cover the costs 
of carrying out section 4(a) and subsection (c) of 
this section; 
(2) be uniform—
(A) for each computer with a central proc-
essing unit and monitor integrated in a single 
device; 
(B) for each central processing unit; 
(C) for each monitor; and 
(D) for each class of other devices des-
ignated by the Administrator under subsection 
(c); 
(3) not exceed $10 per computer, monitor, or 
other designated device; and 
(4) be clearly indicated on the label, external 
packing materials, or sales receipt of the computer, 
monitor, or device. 
(c) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—Persons required by 
the Administrator to collect a fee under this section may 
retain 3 percent of amounts so collected to pay the costs 
of administering the fee collection program. 
(d) EXEMPTED SALES.—The requirement of a fee 
under this section shall not apply to a sale of a used com-
puter, monitor, or device by a nonprofit organization.
(e) ADDITIONAL EXEMPTION.—The Administrator 
may exempt from the requirement of a fee under this sec-
tion any sale made under a contract or an arrangement 
that the Administrator determines is likely to result in the 
maximum reuse of significant components of the com-
puter, monitor, or device, and the disposal of the remain-
ing components—
(1) in an environmentally sound and responsible 
manner; 
(2) without violation of any Federal or State 
law; and 
(3) without reliance on funding from State or 
local governments, 
when the computer, monitor, or device is no longer of use 
to the end-user. 
(f) DESIGNATION OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES.—The 
Administrator may designate additional electronic devices 
to which the fee under subsection (a) shall apply if those 
electronic devices—
(1) contain a significant amount of material 
that, when disposed of, would be hazardous waste; 
and 
(2) include one or more liquid crystal displays, 
cathode ray tubes, or circuit boards.
SEC. 4. GRANTS. 
(a) USES
OF FEE AMOUNTS.—Amounts collected 
under section 3 shall be used, to the extent provided in 
advance in appropriations Acts, by the Administrator 
for—
(1) covering the costs of administration of this 
Act; and 
(2) making grants under subsection (b). 
Not more than 10 percent of the funds available pursuant 
to this Act for any fiscal year may be used for costs de-
scribed in paragraph (1). 
(b) GRANT PURPOSES.—The Administrator shall 
make grants with funds collected under section 3 to indi-
viduals or organizations (including units of local govern-
ment) for—
(1) collecting or processing used computers, 
monitors, or other designated devices for recycling 
purposes; 
(2) reusing or reselling such computers, mon-
itors, or devices, or components thereof; and 
(3) extracting and using, or selling for reuse, 
raw materials from such computers, monitors, or de-
vices. 
(c) ELIGIBILITY.—An individual or organization shall 
be eligible for a grant under subsection (b) only if the indi-
vidual or organization provides assurances to the satisfac-
tion of the Administrator that it will carry out the grant 
purposes in a manner that complies with all applicable 
Federal and State environmental and health laws. 
(d) SELECTION CRITERIA.—In selecting proposals for 
grants under subsection (b), the Administrator shall con-
sider—
(1) the quantity of used computers, monitors, 
or other designated devices that will be diverted 
from landfills; 
(2) the estimated cost per unit of the collection, 
processing, reuse, or sale proposed; 
(3) the availability of, and potential for, mar-
kets for recycled materials; 
(4) the degree to which the proposal mitigates 
or avoids harmful environmental or health effects; 
(5) the degree to which the proposal employs 
innovative recycling technologies; and 
(6) the demonstrated history of the grant appli-
cant in disposing of or providing for the reuse of 
computers, monitors, or devices in an environ-
mentally sound and responsible manner without vio-
lation of any Federal or State law. 
The Administrator shall ensure that grants are provided 
to a geographically diverse group of recipients.
SEC. 5. CONSULTATION. 
In carrying out this Act, the Administrator shall con-
sult with representatives of the computer manufacturing, 
retail, and recycling industries, waste management profes-
sionals, environmental and consumer groups, and other 
appropriate individuals and organizations (including units 
of local government). 
SEC. 6. STUDY AND REPORTS. 
(a) STUDY.—Not later than 6 months after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 
transmit to the Congress the results of a study that—
(1) identifies waste materials in used computers 
that may be hazardous to human health or the envi-
ronment; 
(2) estimates the quantities of such materials 
that exist or will exist in the future, including a sep-
arate estimate of the quantities of such materials 
that are exported from the United States; 
(3) estimates the costs of transporting, col-
lecting, and processing computers, monitors, and 
other designated devices; 
(4) describes current management of such 
waste materials; 
(5) makes recommendations for the manage-
ment of electronic products containing such waste 
materials at the end of their useful lives; and
(6) estimates the demand for materials from re-
cycled computers, and make recommendations for 
increasing the markets for such materials. 
(b) REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 
4 additional years, the Administrator shall transmit to the 
Congress a report on the status of computer recycling. 
Such report shall include a description of the amount of 
fees collected under section 3, and a description of the 
amount of administrative costs paid for and grants made 
under section 4 with funds collected through such fees.
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