Title: COVS Act
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Computers for Veterans and Students Act of 2021 or the COVS Act
This bill requires the General Services Administration (GSA) to quarterly transfer surplus computers and related technology to nonprofit refurbishers for eventual distribution to (1) schools, veterans, seniors, and other specified populations in need; and (2) state and local agencies for donation to nonprofit and public entities.
Currently, the GSA operates the Computers for Learning Program, which distributes surplus computers and related technology from federal agencies to schools and educational nonprofits; the program does not allow property to be transferred directly to refurbishers.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3544 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3544

 To require the Administrator of General Services to transfer certain 
   surplus computers and technology equipment to nonprofit computer 
   refurbishers for repair, distribution, and return, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 25, 2021

 Ms. Spanberger (for herself, Mr. Wittman, and Mrs. Luria) introduced 
 the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight 
                               and Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Administrator of General Services to transfer certain 
   surplus computers and technology equipment to nonprofit computer 
   refurbishers for repair, distribution, and return, 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 ``Computers for Veterans and Students 
Act of 2021'' or the ``COVS Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Access to computers and computer technology is 
        indispensable for success in the 21st century. Millions of 
        Americans do not regularly use a computer and research shows 
        that substantial disparities remain in both internet use and 
        the quality of access with the digital divide concentrated 
        among older, less educated, less affluent populations, 
        especially veterans, low-income students, and senior citizens.
            (2) The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the gap between 
        those with computer access and those without. Millions of 
        students, their families, and workers from across the economy 
        were unable to do schoolwork, work remotely from home, or be 
        able to connect to loved ones and their communities because of 
        the digital divide.
            (3) Any Federal program that distributes retired Federal 
        computers to a public school, an educational nonprofit, or a 
        nonprofit computer refurbisher for repair and distribution 
        would benefit from a partnership with a nonprofit organization, 
        whose mission is bridging the digital divide.

SEC. 3. REFURBISHMENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF SURPLUS COMPUTERS AND 
              TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT.

    (a) GSA Transfer.--On a quarterly basis, the Administrator shall 
transfer to participating nonprofit computer refurbishers surplus 
computer or technology equipment that has been declared repairable as 
follows:
            (1) 40 percent for repair and distribution in accordance 
        with subsection (c)(1).
            (2) 60 percent for repair and transfer in accordance with 
        subsection (c)(2).
    (b) Partnership.--The Administrator may establish a partnership 
with private entities to--
            (1) facilitate the identification of nonprofit computer 
        refurbishers and the distribution of surplus computer or 
        technology equipment under this section; and
            (2) facilitate the participation of nonprofit computer 
        refurbishers under this section.
    (c) Repair and Distribution.--
            (1) Distribution to bridge the digital divide.--A nonprofit 
        computer refurbisher that receives equipment under subsection 
        (a)(1) shall repair and distribute such equipment to an 
        educational institution, a veteran, an individual with a 
        disability, a low-income individual, a student, or a senior in 
        need that is residing or based in the United States.
            (2) Distribution to state agencies through gsa.--A 
        nonprofit computer refurbisher that receives equipment under 
        subsection (a)(2) shall repair and return the equipment to the 
        Administrator for transfer under section 549 of title 40, 
        United States Code.
            (3) Inability to be reused.--A nonprofit computer 
        refurbisher shall transfer to the Administrator any equipment 
        received under this subsection that is not possible to repair 
        for reclassification under section 102-36.240 of title 41, Code 
        of Federal Regulations.
            (4) Training programs.--Any nonprofit computer refurbisher 
        that receives any equipment under subsection (a)(1) shall offer 
        training programs on the use of computers and technology 
        equipment for any of the following:
                    (A) Educational institutions.
                    (B) Veterans.
                    (C) Individuals with disabilities.
                    (D) Low-income individuals.
                    (E) Students.
                    (F) Seniors.
    (d) Reports Required.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter for the next 4 
years, the Administrator shall submit to Congress a report on the 
efforts of the Administrator under this Act.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of General Services.
            (2) Digital divide.--The term ``digital divide'' means the 
        gap between those who have an internet-connected computer and 
        the skills to use the computer and those who do not. Principle 
        barriers to closing this gap include access to devices, 
        affordability, digital literacy, and access to broadband.
            (3) Educational institution.--The term ``educational 
        institution'' means--
                    (A) any public or private child care center, 
                preschool, elementary school, secondary school, 
                accredited institution of vocational or professional 
                education, or institution of higher education; and
                    (B) in the case of an accredited institution of 
                vocational or professional education or an institution 
                of higher education composed of more than one school, 
                college, or department that is administratively a 
                separate unit, each such school, college, or 
                department.
            (4) Federal agency.--The term ``Federal agency'' has the 
        meaning given the term ``federal agency'' in section 102 of 
        title 40, United States Code.
            (5) Disability.--The term ``disability'' has the meaning 
        given that term in section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities 
        Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102).
            (6) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).
            (7) Low-income individuals.--The term ``low income 
        individual'' has the meaning given such term in section 351 of 
        the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 (15 U.S.C. 689).
            (8) Nonprofit computer refurbisher.--The term ``nonprofit 
        computer refurbisher'' means a nonprofit organization that 
        primarily works to improve access to information and 
        communication technology in their mission to bridge the digital 
        divide.
            (9) Nonprofit organization.--The term ``nonprofit 
        organization'' means an organization that is described under 
        section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is 
        exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code.
            (10) Repairable.--The term ``repairable'' means property 
        that is unusable but can be economically repaired.
            (11) Secondary school.--The term ``secondary school'' has 
        the meaning given such term in section 8101 of the Elementary 
        and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
            (12) Senior.--The term ``senior'' means an individual who 
        is 65 years of age or older.
            (13) Senior in need.--The term ``senior in need'' means a 
        senior who experiences cultural, social, or geographical 
        isolation that--
                    (A) restricts the ability of the senior to perform 
                normal daily tasks; or
                    (B) threatens the capacity of the senior to live 
                independently.
            (14) Student.--The term ``student'' means any individual 
        enrolled in an educational institution, but not a public or 
        private child care center.
            (15) Surplus computer or technology equipment.--The term 
        ``surplus computer or technology equipment'' means computer or 
        technology equipment that is property as described under 
        section 549(b)(2) of title 40, United States Code.
            (16) Technology equipment.--The term ``technology 
        equipment'' means any physical asset related to a computer or 
        information technology, including any peripheral component, 
        tablet, communication device (such as a router, server, or cell 
        phone), printer, scanner, uninterruptible power source, cable, 
        or connection.
            (17) Veteran.--The term ``veteran'' has the meaning given 
        that term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such funds as are necessary 
to carry out this Act.
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