H.R. 6591 — Computer Science for All Act of 2025

This section states congressional findings on the importance of computer science education, including projected 20% growth in such jobs by 2034; availability in only 60% of public high schools despite 90% parental support; and underrepresentation of Black workers (9% of STEAM workforce vs. 11% of total workforce), Hispanic workers (8% vs. 17%), and women of color (15% of science and engineering degrees in 2022, with Black women at 3% and Hispanic women at 4.5%).

This section defines key terms for purposes of the Act, including (1) computational thinking (i.e., creative processes for formulating computable problem solutions, potentially involving software/hardware design, algorithms, programming, security, and societal impacts); (2) computer science education (i.e., encompassing computational thinking, software design, hardware architecture, algorithms, programming, security, networks, artificial intelligence, and related topics); (3) eligible entity (i.e., a State, local educational agency, or eligible Tribal school demonstrating capacity for ambitious computer science expansion, including for underrepresented students); (4) eligible Tribal school (i.e., Bureau of Indian Education-operated schools, those under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, or tribally controlled schools); (5) institution of higher education (as defined in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, 20 U.S.C. 1002); (6) local educational agency (i.e., one meeting requirements of section 1003(f) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 20 U.S.C. 6303(f)); (7) poverty line (as defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 20 U.S.C. 8101); (8) Secretary (i.e., Secretary of Education); (9) State (as defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 20 U.S.C. 7801, with at least one qualifying local educational agency); and (10) STEAM (i.e., science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, including computer science).

This section establishes a grant program under which the Secretary of Education awards competitive grants to states, local educational agencies, and eligible tribal schools—or consortia or partnerships thereof—to develop models for expanding computer science education that can be replicated nationally, with grants for up to 5 years. Grant applications must include plans to (1) provide every high school student access to computer science education within 5 years of receiving funds; (2) offer a prekindergarten through middle school progression preparing students for high school computer science; (3) expand access to rigorous STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) classes using computer science to boost interest and reduce enrollment and achievement gaps for underrepresented groups, including minorities, girls, and low-income youth; (4) monitor and evaluate activities; (5) sustain activities post-grant; and (6) prepare students for computer science applications in technologies such as artificial intelligence. Grantees must use funds for teacher training in computer science, high-quality learning materials and online options, STEAM expansion plans addressing equity gaps, and support (including mentoring) for underrepresented students; permissible uses include regional collaborations with industry, nonprofits, and minority-serving institutions of higher education; recruitment of instructional personnel; post-grant sustainability; dissemination of practices; and artificial intelligence in classrooms. Not more than 15% of grant funds may be used for equipment. The Secretary may reserve up to 2.5% of appropriated funds for national activities such as technical assistance, evaluation, and dissemination. The section authorizes $250 million total for FY2026 through FY2030.

This section establishes reporting requirements for grants under this Act, as follows: (1) requires each grantee to submit semiannual reports to the Secretary on the use of grant funds, including data on students served disaggregated by race (using decennial census categories for Asian and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students), ethnicity, gender, and eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act; and (2) directs the Secretary to submit to Congress, not later than five years after the first grant award, a report analyzing grantee reports under (1) with a recommendation on expanding the program.

This section amends the Department of Education Organization Act to require the Office for Civil Rights, in collecting data to ensure compliance with civil rights laws, to include information on the existence of computer science education (as defined in section 3 of the Computer Science for All Act of 2025), disaggregated by type of such education and by state, local educational agency, and eligible tribal school (as defined therein). The section also amends the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 to add to the data collection duties of the Commissioner for Education Statistics under the Institute of Education Sciences the existence of computer science education (as so defined) in elementary schools and secondary schools and the degree of competency in computer science fields among such students.