IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 938 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the leaders of 
Congress and other legislative branch offices should work together to 
establish and implement a coordinated program for the reuse, recycling, 
and appropriate disposal of obsolete computers and other electronic 
equipment used by offices of the legislative branch. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 19, 2009 
Mr. THOMPSON of California (for himself, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mrs. 
BONO MACK, and Mr. BILBRAY) submitted the following resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on House Administration 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the leaders of Congress and other legislative branch of-
fices should work together to establish and implement 
a coordinated program for the reuse, recycling, and ap-
propriate disposal of obsolete computers and other elec-
tronic equipment used by offices of the legislative branch. 
Whereas electronic waste (or ‘‘e-waste’’) that is generated 
from obsolete computers and other electronic equipment 
is rapidly becoming a serious concern to State and local 
governments; 
Whereas e-waste is one of the fastest growing sectors in the 
solid waste stream; 
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•HRES 938 IH 
Whereas the disposal of e-waste is essentially unregulated at 
the Federal level; 
Whereas e-waste generated in the United States is most likely 
to be exported to developing countries; 
Whereas the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has 
found that, ‘‘A substantial quantity [of exported used 
electronics] ends up in countries where the items are 
handled and disposed of in a manner that threatens 
human health and the environment’’; 
Whereas GAO has also found that ‘‘Federal agencies . . . are 
not required to track the ultimate destination of their do-
nated or recycled e-waste’’ and therefore ‘‘have little as-
surance that their e-waste is ultimately disposed of in an 
environmentally responsible matter’’; 
Whereas the United States has a growing domestic e-waste 
disposal industry that employs hard-working Americans; 
Whereas the United States owns and operates UNICOR, the 
trade name for Federal Prison Industries, Inc., which 
employs offenders incarcerated in correctional facilities 
under the Federal Bureau of Prisons; 
Whereas UNICOR operates 8 e-waste recycling facilities in 
direct competition to privately owned and operated e- 
waste disposal facilities in the United States; 
Whereas the Basel Action Network (BAN) has designed the 
e-Stewards Standard for Responsible Recycling and 
Reuse of Electronic Equipment, which forbids the export 
of e-waste to developing countries and the use of prison 
labor for recycling services; and 
Whereas Congress should lead by example to address this 
growing problem: Now, therefore, be it 
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•HRES 938 IH 
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that the leaders of the House of Representa-
tives, the Senate, and other legislative branch offices 
should work together to establish and implement a coordi-
nated program for the reuse, recycling, and appropriate 
disposal of obsolete computers and other electronic equip-
ment used by offices of the legislative branch, using only 
those companies certified by accredited e-Stewards certifi-
cation bodies to be in conformance with the requirements 
of the e-Stewards Standard for Responsible Recycling and 
Reuse of Electronic Equipment. 
Æ 
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