I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2303 
To establish a task force to share best practices on computer programming 
and coding for elementary schools and secondary schools, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 3, 2017 
Mr. CA´RDENAS (for himself, Mr. FARENTHOLD, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr. 
GALLEGO, Mr. GUTIE´RREZ, Mr. COHEN, Mr. FOSTER, Ms. JUDY CHU of 
California, Ms. LEE, and Mr. KILMER) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To establish a task force to share best practices on computer 
programming and coding for elementary schools and sec-
ondary schools, 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 
‘‘416d65726963612043616e20436f6465 Act of 2017’’ or 
the ‘‘America Can Code Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) According to the National Science Founda-
tion, 2 percent of students studying science, tech-
nology, engineering, or math (STEM) are computer 
science majors, while 60 percent of STEM jobs are 
in the computing field. 
(2) The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 
that computer programming jobs are growing at 
twice the national job growth average, and these 
jobs are high paying middle class jobs that can se-
cure the financial future of many American families 
and also help grow the United States economy. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) secondary schools should focus on preparing 
career and technical students, including underrep-
resented groups such as minorities and women, for 
academic and technical opportunities in postsec-
ondary education or entry into a high paying, skilled 
job in the computer programming field; 
(2) elementary schools and secondary schools 
should place emphasis on coding and computer pro-
gramming as a vocational and technical education 
track; 
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(3) educators should rethink the way coding as 
a skill is conceptualized within the education system 
and in our society; and 
(4) learning to write and read code is critical to 
creating and innovating in cyberspace, and learning 
this language is also a skill critical to the national 
security and economic competitiveness of the United 
States. 
SEC. 4. CODING AS A CRITICAL FOREIGN LANGUAGE. 
Section 6001(b)(1) of the America COMPETES Act 
(20 U.S.C. 9802(b)(1)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, includ-
ing a computer programming language,’’ after ‘‘a foreign 
language’’. 
SEC. 5. AMENDMENTS TO THE CARL D. PERKINS CAREER 
AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ACT OF 2006. 
The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education 
Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.) is amended— 
(1) in section 122(c) (20 U.S.C. 2342(c))— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A)— 
(I) in the first sentence, by in-
serting ‘‘, including coding and com-
puter programming,’’ after ‘‘the ca-
reer 
and 
technical 
programs 
of 
study’’; and 
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(II) in clause (iv), by inserting ‘‘, 
particularly in the technology field’’ 
after ‘‘or an associate or bacca-
laureate degree’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (H), by inserting 
‘‘, especially in computer programming’’ 
after ‘‘in current or emerging occupa-
tions’’; and 
(iii) in subparagraph (I)(iii), by in-
serting ‘‘, especially in computer program-
ming’’ after ‘‘or high demand occupa-
tions’’; 
(B) in paragraph (7)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by insert-
ing ‘‘, particularly coding and computer 
programming’’ after ‘‘career and technical 
education subjects’’; and 
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by inserting 
‘‘, such as the technology industry’’ after 
‘‘all aspects of an industry’’; 
(C) in paragraph (9)(C), by inserting ‘‘, 
especially in computer programming’’ after ‘‘or 
high demand occupations’’; 
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(D) in paragraph (16), by inserting ‘‘, es-
pecially in computer programming’’ after ‘‘re-
gional occupational opportunities’’; and 
(E) in paragraph (18), by inserting ‘‘, es-
pecially in computer programming’’ after ‘‘or 
high demand occupations and non-traditional 
fields’’; and 
(2) in section 203 (20 U.S.C. 2373)— 
(A) in subsection (c)— 
(i) in paragraph (2)— 
(I) in subparagraph (B), by in-
serting ‘‘, especially in coding and 
computer programming,’’ after ‘‘inte-
grates academic and career and tech-
nical education instruction’’; 
(II) in subparagraph (C), by in-
serting ‘‘, especially in computer pro-
gramming’’ after ‘‘or high demand oc-
cupations’’; 
(III) in subparagraph (E), by in-
serting ‘‘, particularly in the tech-
nology field’’ after ‘‘in a specific ca-
reer field’’; and 
(IV) in subparagraph (F), by in-
serting ‘‘, particularly in computer 
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(II) by inserting after clause (ii) 
the following: 
‘‘(iii) complete a State or industry- 
recognized certification or licensure in 
computer programming;’’. 
SEC. 6. TASK FORCE ON COMPUTER PROGRAMMING AND 
CODING. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF TASK FORCE ON COMPUTER 
PROGRAMMING AND CODING.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Education shall convene a task force to explore— 
(1) mechanisms for the development of draft 
curricula for elementary and secondary education 
with respect to computer programming and coding; 
(2) a mechanism to collect and share best prac-
tices among educators with respect to computer pro-
gramming and coding at the elementary school and 
secondary school levels; and 
(3) a national strategy to ensure competitive-
ness in emerging STEM fields, such as computer 
programming and coding. 
(b) FUNCTIONS.—The task force shall— 
(1) develop options for a collaborative model 
and an organizational structure for such task force 
under which the joint research and development ac-
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tivities may be planned, managed, and conducted ef-
fectively, including mechanisms for the allocation of 
resources among the participants of such task force 
for support of such activities; 
(2) identify and prioritize at least 3 challenges 
of educating and training a workforce equipped to 
fill computer science and engineering jobs, particu-
larly focused on nationally significant problems re-
quiring collaborative and interdisciplinary solutions; 
(3) propose a process for developing a research 
and development agenda for such task force to ad-
dress the challenges identified under paragraph (2); 
(4) define the roles and responsibilities for the 
members from each of the groups described in para-
graphs (1) through (4) of subsection (c); 
(5) establish the information portal described in 
subsection (e); and 
(6) make recommendations for how the task 
force may be funded from Federal, State, and non-
governmental sources. 
(c) COMPOSITION.—In establishing the task force 
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall appoint to serve 
on the task force an equal number of representatives from 
each of the following 4 groups: 
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(1) The Department of Education and other 
relevant Federal Government agencies. 
(2) Elementary school or secondary school 
teachers. 
(3) Institutions of higher education, including 
minority-serving institutions and community col-
leges. 
(4) Employers of individuals with expertise in 
computer science and engineering. 
(d) COMPENSATION AND EXPENSES.—Members of 
the task force shall serve without compensation. 
(e) INFORMATION PORTAL.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The task force shall estab-
lish and maintain, an information portal which 
shall— 
(A) include the establishment of an online, 
publicly available information portal for use by 
elementary schools and secondary schools and 
stakeholders that directs users to key data and 
tools to build or update curricula for elementary 
and secondary education on coding and com-
puter programming; and 
(B) expand and be complementary to exist-
ing Federal efforts promoting coding and com-
puter programming in elementary schools and 
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secondary schools to prepare for high paying 
skilled jobs in the computer programming field. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The information portal estab-
lished under this subsection shall direct users (who 
may include elementary schools and secondary 
schools, academia, and private sector stakeholders, 
and non-profit organizations with expertise in cod-
ing), to coordinated and systematic information on 
promoting coding and computer programming in ele-
mentary schools and secondary schools to prepare 
students for high paying skilled jobs in the computer 
programming field, including— 
(A) best or model practices; 
(B) data; 
(C) case studies; 
(D) indicators; 
(E) scientific reports; 
(F) policy recommendations for Federal, 
State, and local government; 
(G) guidance documents and design stand-
ards for elementary schools and secondary 
schools; 
(H) incentives for teachers; 
(I) education initiatives; 
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(J) support tools, including draft curricula 
and appropriate materials for teachers; 
(K) public and private sources of assist-
ance to available to support computer science 
and engineering in elementary schools and sec-
ondary schools; and 
(L) such other information as the coordi-
nating as the task force considers appropriate. 
(f) REPORT.—Not later than 24 months after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall transmit 
to the Committees on Education and the Workforce and 
Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committees on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions and Homeland Security and Govern-
mental Affairs of the Senate a report describing the find-
ings and recommendations of the task force. 
(g) TERMINATION.—The task force shall terminate 
upon the completion of information portal report required 
under subsection (e) and the transmittal of the report re-
quired under subsection (f). 
(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ESEA TERMS.—The terms ‘‘elementary 
school’’ and ‘‘secondary school’’ have the meanings 
given the terms in section 8101 of the Elementary 
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