APP Act
Bill: H.R.5559 | Sponsor: Rep. Emmer, Tom (R-MN)
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Advancing and Promoting Programming or the APP Act
This bill establishes a centralized website to provide information regarding sources of federal funding for the creation of apps (software applications that enable the performance of specific tasks that may be run on a computer, mobile device, or any other electronic device). The website must also allow the public to download publicly available federal government apps.
Specifically, the bill requires the General Services Administration (GSA) to establish a publicly available website that includes a database of federal funding opportunities for the creation of apps, options for rating and reviewing apps, tools for app developers, and resources related to education and training in computer science.
The GSA shall review any app for which an update has not been released in more than two years and shall remove any app from the website that is no longer functional or compatible.

To establish a website for Federal Government apps, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Advancing and Promoting Programming 
Act'' or the ``APP Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) Eighty-four percent of leading app makers are outside 
        Silicon Valley, and 83 percent are small businesses.
            (2) Millions have participated in the Hour of Code, which 
        teaches the fundamental components of computer programming.
            (3) The Congressional App Challenge is an officially 
        sanctioned competition to promote computer science education 
        and demonstrate the value of coding to the next generation.
            (4) Computer Science majors earn 40 percent more than the 
        average college graduates.
            (5) In 2016, China surpassed the United States in app store 
        revenue.
            (6) The current extent of a Federal mobile app directory 
        exists as a text list on a General Services Administration 
        website.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) computer science skills are critical to a burgeoning 
        technology industry, and will provide high-quality jobs for 
        America's future workforce;
            (2) the Federal Government has an obligation to provide 
        information and services through a means that meets the 
        technology demands of our changing society; and
            (3) among other fields, computer programming jobs are a way 
        to ensure America keeps the highest-quality jobs and remains a 
        world economic leader.

SEC. 3. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WEBSITE FOR APPS.

    (a) Establishment of Website.--Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of General 
Services shall establish a publicly available website that includes a 
database of Federal funding opportunities for the creation of apps, 
allows the public to download a Federal Government app that has been 
made available to the public, and includes the following:
            (1) A list of each funding source (including grants and 
        prizes) for the creation and maintenance of Federal Government 
        apps and how an applicant may apply for such funding, including 
        resources such as grants.gov, challenge.gov, and the Small 
        Business Innovation Research program.
            (2) The ability for the public to rate and review any such 
        Federal Government app.
            (3) A page that prominently displays apps that have been 
        recently updated or that receive a high user review average 
        under paragraph (2).
            (4) A page that features Government projects that provide 
        application developers with tools to improve private apps, such 
        as data.gov and developer.epa.gov.
            (5) Resources for education and training related to the 
        creation of apps.
            (6) A page that features outstanding, educational, computer 
        science programs, determined by the Administrator of General 
        Services and the Director of the National Science Foundation, 
        and resources to replicate such programs.
    (b) Review and Removal of Outdated Apps.--The Administrator of 
General Services shall review any app for which an update has not been 
released in more than 2 years and shall remove any app from the website 
described in subsection (a) that is no longer functional or compatible.
    (c) App Defined.--In this section, the term ``app'' means a 
software application that enables the performance of a specific task 
that may be run on a computer, a mobile device, the internet, or any 
other electronic device.
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