SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Computers in Our
Community Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) There is a growing gap, commonly referred
to as the digital divide, between individuals who have
access to computers and the Internet and individuals
who do not have such access.
(2) Households with incomes of $75,000 or
greater are more than 20 times more likely to have
access to the Internet, and more than 9 times more
likely to have a computer at home, than households
with the lowest income levels.
(3) Although 58.9 percent of Americans earning
over $75,000 annually frequently use the Internet,
only 16 percent of Americans earning between
$5,000 and $10,000 annually use the Internet.
(4) Black and Hispanic households are 2⁄5 as
likely to have home Internet access as white house-
holds.
(5) The digital divide is an emergency that will
detrimentally affect the economy and society of the
Nation absent immediate corrective action.
(6) The e-rate program of the Federal Commu-
nications Commission ensures that schools and li-
braries receive telecommunications services at a dis-
counted rate. Although tremendously successful, this
program is insufficient because there is twice the de-
mand for funding as there is funding available.
(7) According to statistics by the Department
of Education, there is a dire need for additional
computers in some schools. Schools with the highest
concentrations of poverty had an average of 16 stu-
dents per instructional computer with Internet ac-
cess, compared to 7 students for each such computer
in schools with the lowest concentrations of poverty.
(8) The computer industry is the fastest grow-
ing industry in our country. There is a documented
shortage of information technology workers. Increas-
ingly, workers in all fields of employment will need
to be computer literate. Ensuring that classrooms
have computers that are used effectively to teach
students will help meet this need.
SEC. 3. AMENDMENT TO THE NATIONAL TELECOMMUNI-
CATIONS AND INFORMATION ADMINISTRA-
TION ORGANIZATION ACT.
The National Telecommunications and Information
Administration Organization Act (47 U.S.C. 901 et seq.)
is amended—
(1) by redesignating part C as part D; and
(2) by inserting after part B the following new
part:
‘‘PART C—COMPUTERS IN OUR COMMUNITY
PROGRAM
‘‘SEC. 131. PURPOSE.
‘‘It is the purpose of this part to establish programs
to advance the computer skills of American workers in the
global economy and to use computer technology to advance
the general educational performance of American stu-
dents.
‘‘SEC. 132. STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCY GRANT PROGRAM.
‘‘(a) PROGRAM AUTHORITY.—From 85 percent of the
amount made available under section 137 for any fiscal
year, the Secretary, acting through the Assistant Sec-
retary, shall make grants to each participating State edu-
cational agency for allocation among local educational
agencies in such State.
‘‘(b) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.—
‘‘(1) STATE
ALLOCATIONS.—The Secretary
shall allocate to each participating State educational
agency an amount that bears the same ratio to such
85 percent of the amount made available under sec-
tion 137 for a fiscal year as the total amount allo-
cated to such State educational agency under title I
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 for such fiscal year bears to the total amount
allocated to all such participating State educational
agencies under such title I for such fiscal year.
‘‘(2) LOCAL ALLOCATIONS.—Each participating
State educational agency shall allocate to each par-
ticipating local educational agency an amount that
bears the same ratio to the amount allocated to such
State for a fiscal year as the total amount allocated
to such local educational agency under title I of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
for such fiscal year bears to the total amount allo-
cated to all such participating local educational
agencies in such State under such title I for such
fiscal year.
‘‘(c) ELIGIBILITY.—
‘‘(1) 
PARTICIPATING
STATE
EDUCATIONAL
AGENCIES.—In order to qualify as a participating
State educational agency for purposes of this sec-
tion, a State educational agency shall create or mod-
ify and submit to the Secretary a technology plan
that—
‘‘(A) identifies the current ratio of stu-
dents to computers in each school district in the
State, and specifies the Internet connectivity of
the computer systems in such districts; and
‘‘(B) complies with such other criteria as
the Secretary, in conjunction with the Secretary
of Education, shall prescribe to assure that the
funds provided under this section are being
used properly in schools to advance the use of
technology to effectively teach students com-
puter skills and improve the general educational
performance of students.
‘‘(2) 
PARTICIPATING
LOCAL
EDUCATIONAL
AGENCIES.—In order to qualify as a participating
local educational agency for purposes of this section,
a local educational agency shall create or modify and
submit to the State educational agency a technology
plan that proves such local educational agency is
meeting the goals of the technology plan of the State
educational agency.
‘‘(d) USE OF FUNDS.—Funds provided under this
section may be used for the following:
‘‘(1) The purchase of computers that meet a
minimum standard as determined by the Secretary.
‘‘(2) The electrical wiring that schools may re-
quire to connect computers to each other and to the
Internet.
‘‘(3) Hiring technological assistants to ensure
that each school has access to a trained computer
professional to provide technology training for teach-
ers and perform maintenance of computer systems.
A maximum of 1 technological assistant per 5 ele-
mentary schools, 1 technological assistant per 3 mid-
dle schools, and 1 technological assistant per 2 high
schools may be paid for with such funds.
‘‘SEC. 133. DIGITAL DIVIDE WORKFORCE TRAINING INITIA-
TIVE.
‘‘(a) PROGRAM AUTHORITY.—From 5 percent of the
amount made available under section 137 for any fiscal
year, the Secretary, acting through the Assistant Sec-
retary, shall carry out a program to award grants, on a
competitive basis, to nonprofit organizations for the estab-
lishment of job training programs for preparing individ-
uals for computer and technology related jobs.
‘‘(b) CRITERIA.—The Secretary, after consultation
with the Secretary of Labor, shall establish the criteria
for administering the grants under this section, which
shall include the following:
‘‘(1) Grants under this section shall be for 2
years.
‘‘(2) Grant applicants shall serve low income in-
dividuals, as such term is defined in section 101 of
the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C.
2801).
‘‘(3) Grant applicants may submit an applica-
tion under this section only after consulting with the
appropriate local workforce investment board under
such Act, and obtaining a favorable recommendation
of the application by such board.
‘‘(c) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall give priority to applications
that—
‘‘(1) are submitted by nonprofit organizations
that have experience in providing technological train-
ing;
‘‘(2) propose job training programs that will
serve individuals most in need of computer and tech-
nology training, as determined by the Secretary; and
‘‘(3) provide flexibility in training in order to
accommodate a greater number of individuals.
‘‘(d) APPLICATION.—To seek a grant under this sec-
tion, an applicant shall submit an application to the Sec-
retary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by
such information as the Secretary, in conjunction with the
Secretary of Labor, may reasonably prescribe. Each such
application shall provide a system for tracking the employ-
ment success of individuals who attend any proposed job
training program.
‘‘(e) FOLLOW-UP.—The Secretary shall review the
success of the program under this section and submit a
report to Congress thereon not later than 2 years after
amounts are first available for implementation of the pro-
gram.
‘‘SEC. 134. COMMUNITY CENTERS AND LIBRARIES TECH-
NOLOGY ACCESS GRANTS.
‘‘(a) PROGRAM AUTHORITY.—From 5 percent of the
amount made available under section 137 for any fiscal
year, the Secretary, acting through the Assistant Sec-
retary, shall carry out a program to award grants, on a
competitive basis, to provide assistance to community cen-
ters and libraries to provide greater access to, instruction
on, and assistance with computers and the Internet.
‘‘(b) CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall establish the
criteria for administering the grants under this section,
which shall include the following:
‘‘(1) Any entity requesting funds under this
section shall provide such assurances as the Sec-
retary may require to demonstrate that the entity
will provide, from other sources (which may include
contributions from State or local government), an
equal amount of funds for carrying out the purposes
of the grant.
‘‘(2) Eligible recipients of grants under this sec-
tion shall be community centers that receive Federal,
State, or local government funding, public libraries,
and nonprofit organizations working in conjunction
with such centers and libraries.
‘‘(3) Each recipient of grant funds under this
section shall use such funds to establish a program
for providing greater access to, instruction on, and
assistance with computers and the Internet.
‘‘(4) Grants under this section shall be for 3
years.
‘‘(c) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall give priority to applications that
demonstrate that the program for which funds are
sought—
‘‘(1) will be able to sustain funding in the ab-
sence of Federal funding; and
‘‘(2) will serve areas with a low rate of access
to computers and the Internet.
‘‘(d) APPLICATION.—To seek a grant under this sec-
tion, an applicant shall submit an application to the Sec-
retary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by
such information as the Secretary may reasonably pre-
scribe. Each such application shall include—
‘‘(1) a description of the proposed program, in-
cluding how the program would will make technology
available to areas with a low rate of access to com-
puters and the Internet;
‘‘(2) a demonstration of the need for computers
and access to the Internet in the area to be served;
and
‘‘(3) a description of the type technology that
will be provided.
‘‘SEC. 135. COMPUTER CURRICULUM PARTNERSHIP.
‘‘(a) PROGRAM AUTHORITY.—From 5 percent of the
amount made available under section 137 for any fiscal
year, the Secretary, acting through the Assistant Sec-
retary, shall carry out a program to award grants, on a
competitive basis, to institutions of higher education that
create successful partnerships between their education and
computer departments to create software or Internet
applications—
‘‘(1) to train teachers in using computers, and
using computers to teach students; or
‘‘(2) to use in the classroom to teach students.
‘‘(b) CRITERIA.—The Secretary, after consultation
with the Secretary of Education, shall establish the cri-
teria for administering the grants under this section. Such
criteria shall include priorities for awarding funds under
this section—
‘‘(1) based on the need of the schools being
served and their educational priorities; and
‘‘(2) giving preference to those applicants that
will operate their programs in conjunction with local
educational agencies.
‘‘(c) CLEARINGHOUSE.—The Secretary shall, in con-
junction with the Secretary of Education, develop a clear-
inghouse to make available information derived from the
activities of recipients of funds under this section to other
schools throughout the United States.
‘‘(d) APPLICATION.—To seek a grant under this sec-
tion, an applicant shall submit an application to the Sec-
retary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by
such information as the Secretary, in conjunction with the
Secretary of Education, may reasonably prescribe. Each
application shall include a description of the format of the
software or Internet applications to be created.
‘‘SEC. 136. ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.
‘‘Of amounts available to carry out a program to
award grants under each of sections 133, 134, and 135,
the Secretary may not use more than 1 percent to pay
administration costs under that section.
‘‘SEC. 137. REGULATIONS.
‘‘The Secretary may prescribe such regulations as
may be necessary to carry out this part.
‘‘SEC. 138. APPROPRIATIONS AUTHORIZED.
‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out
this part for any fiscal year an amount not to exceed the
amount deposited to the Computers in Our Communities
Trust Fund for such fiscal year pursuant to section 9511
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
‘‘SEC. 139. DEFINITIONS.
‘‘As used in this part—
‘‘(1) the terms ‘State educational agency’ and
‘local educational agency’ have the meanings pro-
vided such terms in section 14101 of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965; and
‘‘(2) the term ‘institution of higher education’
has the meaning provided such term in section 102
of the Higher Education Act of 1965.’’.
SEC. 4. COMPUTERS IN OUR COMMUNITIES TRUST FUND.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter A of chapter 98 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by inserting
after section 9510 the following:
‘‘SEC. 9511. COMPUTERS IN OUR COMMUNITIES TRUST
FUND.
‘‘(a) CREATION OF TRUST FUND.—There is estab-
lished in the Treasury of the United States a trust fund
to be known as the ‘Computers in Our Communities Trust
Fund’, consisting of such amounts as may be appropriated
or credited pursuant to this section or section 9602(b).
‘‘(b) TRANSFER TO COMPUTERS IN OUR COMMU-
NITIES TRUST FUND AMOUNTS EQUIVALENT TO CERTAIN
TAXES.—There are hereby appropriated to the Computers
in Our Communities Trust Fund amounts equivalent to
100 percent of the taxes received in the Treasury after
September 30, 2000, under section 4251 (relating to tax
on communications).
‘‘(c) EXPENDITURES FROM COMPUTERS
IN OUR
COMMUNITIES TRUST FUND.—Amounts in the Computers
in Our Communities Trust Fund shall be available for
making appropriations to carry out the provisions of part
C of the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration Organization Act.’’.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections
for such subchapter A is amended by adding at the end
the following new item:
‘‘Sec. 9511. Computers in Our Communities Trust Fund.’’
SEC. 5. REDUCTION OF EXCISE TAX ON TELEPHONE AND
OTHER COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 4251(b)(2) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(2) APPLICABLE
PERCENTAGE.—The term
‘applicable percentage’ means 1 percent.’’