H.R. 3544 would require the General Services Administration (GSA) to send surplus computers and technology equipment to nonprofit organizations to refurbish the equipment. Those organizations would distribute it to educational institutions and training programs for veterans, senior citizens, people with disabilities, and others. The bill also would require GSA to report periodically to the Congress on the program and federal agencies to report annually on the disposition of repairable computers.
Most of the bill’s provisions would codify and expand current federal practices. Under Executive Order 12999, for example, GSA donates used electronic equipment to educational facilities through its Computers for Learning Program. Allowing nonprofit refurbishers to receive surplus equipment could increase the administrative costs for those donations, but CBO expects those costs would not be significant.
Enacting the bill could affect direct spending by some agencies that are allowed to use fees, receipts from the sale of goods, and other collections to cover operating costs. CBO estimates that any net changes in direct spending by those agencies would be negligible because most of them can adjust amounts collected to reflect changes in operating costs.
