I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1485 
To authorize the Secretary of Education to carry out a program to increase 
access to prekindergarten through grade 12 computer science education. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 4, 2019 
Ms. LEE of California (for herself, Ms. DELBENE, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Ms. 
JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. CISNEROS, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Ms. WIL-
SON of Florida, Ms. HILL of California, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Ms. 
JACKSON LEE, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Ms. TITUS, 
Mr. GRIJALVA, and Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To authorize the Secretary of Education to carry out a 
program to increase access to prekindergarten through 
grade 12 computer science education. 
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 ‘‘Computer Science for 
All Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that: 
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(1) Computer science is transforming industry, 
creating new fields of commerce, driving innovation, 
and bolstering productivity. It is projected that com-
puting will make up 2⁄3 of new science and engineer-
ing jobs. 
(2) However, the more than 500,000 computing 
jobs unfilled in the United States suggests that our 
students are not being prepared to meet the de-
mands of a 21st century economy. It is projected 
that there will be 1,400,000 new jobs in the tech-
nology sector by 2020; however, 70 percent of those 
jobs will be unfulfilled at the rate American univer-
sities are producing qualified graduates. 
(3) Knowledge of computer science and use of 
technology is increasingly essential for all individ-
uals, not just those working or planning to work in 
the technology sector. 
(4) Providing students with computer science 
education in elementary school and secondary school 
is critical for student success, and strengthening the 
workforce of a 21st century economy. 
(5) While an estimated 90 percent of parents 
want computer science taught in their children’s 
schools, just 25 percent of all elementary schools 
and secondary schools offer high-quality computer 
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science instruction that includes programming and 
coding. 
(6) Black and Hispanic workers in the science 
and engineering workforce continue to be underrep-
resented. Black employees represent 11 percent of 
the U.S. workforce, but only 9 percent of the science 
and engineering workforce. Hispanic employees rep-
resent 16 percent of the U.S. workforce, but only 7 
percent of the science and engineering workforce. 
(7) While underrepresented minority students 
overall face an opportunity gap in STEAM edu-
cation, women of color particularly face an achieve-
ment gap in science and engineering education. In 
2015, while women were conferred nearly a third of 
all science and engineering degrees, women of color 
received only 13 percent (Black: 3.2 percent; His-
panic: 3.9 percent; Native American or Alaskan Na-
tive: 0.2 percent; Asian or Pacific Islander: 4.5 per-
cent; and multi-racial: 1.2 percent). 
(8) Women overall face challenges in accessing 
computer science education. Only 18 percent of all 
bachelor’s degrees conferred in computer science 
went to women in 2015, and women of color received 
only 9 percent of degrees (Black: 3 percent; His-
panic: 2 percent; Native American or Alaska Native: 
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0.8 percent; and Asian or Pacific islander: 3 per-
cent). 
(9) Disparities in enrollment and academic 
achievement start early. In 2018, only 28 percent of 
students taking either AP Computer Science exams 
were women, and just 21 percent were African 
American, or Latino. 
(10) Nationwide, only 88 Native American stu-
dents took the AP Computer Science exam in 2016, 
a decrease from 2015. This means that while Native 
Americans make up about 1.1 percent of the U.S. 
student population, they made up 1⁄5 of a percent of 
students who took AP Computer Science exams in 
2016. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) COMPUTATIONAL
THINKING.—The term 
‘‘computational thinking’’ aims to capture the wide 
range of creative processes that go into formulating 
problems and their solutions in such a way that the 
solutions can be carried out by a computer, and may 
involve some understanding of software and hard-
ware design, logic and the use of abstraction and 
representation, algorithm design, algorithm expres-
sion, problem decomposition, modularity, program-
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ming paradigms and languages, issues of informa-
tion security and privacy, the application of com-
putation across a wide range of disciplines, and the 
societal impact of computing. Programming is a 
hands-on, inquiry-based way in which computational 
thinking may be learned. 
(2) COMPUTER
SCIENCE
EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘computer science education’’ includes any of 
the following: computational thinking; software de-
sign; hardware architecture and organization; theo-
retical foundations; use of abstraction and represen-
tation in problem solving; logic; algorithm design 
and implementation; the limits of computation; pro-
gramming paradigms and languages; parallel and 
distributed computing; information security and pri-
vacy; computing systems and networks; graphics and 
visualization; databases and information retrieval; 
the relationship between computing and mathe-
matics; artificial intelligence; applications of com-
puting across a broad range of disciplines and prob-
lems; and the social impacts and professional prac-
tices of computing. 
(3) ELIGIBLE TRIBAL SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘eli-
gible Tribal school’’ means— 
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(A) a school operated by the Bureau of In-
dian Education; 
(B) a school operated pursuant to the In-
dian Self-Determination and Education Assist-
ance Act (25 U.S.C. 450 et seq.); or 
(C) a tribally controlled school (as defined 
in section 5212 of the Tribally Controlled 
Schools Act of 1988 (25 U.S.C. 2511)). 
(4) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 102 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002). 
(5) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—The term 
‘‘local educational agency’’ has the meaning given 
the term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8101). 
(6) POVERTY LINE.—The term ‘‘poverty line’’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 8101 of 
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 8101). 
(7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Education. 
(8) STEAM.—The term ‘‘STEAM’’ means the 
subjects of science, technology, engineering, arts, 
and mathematics, including computer science. 
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SEC. 4. GRANTS TO STATES, LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGEN-
CIES, AND ELIGIBLE TRIBAL SCHOOLS. 
(a) GRANTS
TO
STATES, LOCAL
EDUCATIONAL 
AGENCIES, AND ELIGIBLE TRIBAL SCHOOLS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 
grants to States, local educational agencies, and eli-
gible Tribal schools— 
(A) that demonstrate an ability to carry 
out an ambitious computer science education 
expansion effort for all students served by the 
State, agency, or school, including traditionally 
underrepresented students; and 
(B) to serve as models for national replica-
tion of computer science education expansion 
efforts. 
(2) CONSORTIA AND PARTNERSHIPS.—A State, 
local educational agency, or eligible Tribal school 
may apply for a grant under this section as part of 
a consortium or in partnership with a State edu-
cational agency or other partner. 
(3) DURATION.—Grants awarded under this 
section shall be for a period of not more than 5 
years. 
(b) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.—A State, local 
educational agency, or eligible Tribal school that desires 
a grant under this section shall submit an application to 
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the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and con-
taining such information as the Secretary may require, in-
cluding, at a minimum, plans for the following: 
(1) Every high school student served by the 
State, local educational agency, or eligible Tribal 
school to have access to computer science education 
not later than 5 years after receipt of grant funds. 
(2) All students served by the State, local edu-
cational agency, or eligible Tribal school to have ac-
cess to a progression of computer science education 
from prekindergarten through middle school that 
prepares students for high school computer science 
education. 
(3) Expansion of overall access to rigorous 
STEAM classes, utilizing computer science as a cat-
alyst for increased interest in STEAM more broadly, 
and reducing the enrollment and academic achieve-
ment gap for underrepresented groups such as mi-
norities, girls, and youth from families living at, or 
below, the poverty line. 
(4) Continuous monitoring and evaluation of 
project activities. 
(5) Effectively sustaining project activities after 
the grant period ends, and the length of time which 
the applicant plans to sustain the project activities. 
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