Bill Summary
The "Women and Minorities in STEM Booster Act of 2019" is a bill proposed to address the underrepresentation of women and minority groups in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). It aims to increase the participation of these groups in STEM education and industry by providing grant programs to eligible entities. The bill notes the disparities in STEM employment and graduation rates for women and minority groups and outlines the various activities that can be supported by the grants, such as online workshops, mentoring programs, internships, outreach programs, and efforts to increase the recruitment and retention of underrepresented faculty. The bill defines "minority" as various ethnic and racial groups and "underrepresented in science and engineering" as a minority group with a significantly lower number of scientists and engineers compared to the number for white non-Hispanic individuals. It also sets aside a specific budget for the program for the next five fiscal years.
Possible Impacts
1. This legislation could positively affect women and minorities by providing grant funding for programs and resources to increase their participation and retention in STEM fields. This could lead to more opportunities and representation for these groups in traditionally male-dominated industries, potentially increasing their earning potential and career advancement.
2. The bill could also have a positive impact on the overall economy by addressing the need for a diverse and well-trained STEM workforce, which is essential for technological innovation and global competitiveness.
3. However, the legislation could also face opposition and backlash from individuals or groups who may view the inclusion of specific demographic groups as unfair or unnecessary. This could lead to debates and challenges to the bill, potentially delaying or limiting its implementation.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2578 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2578
To increase the participation of historically underrepresented
demographic groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
education and industry.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 26, 2019
Ms. Hirono (for herself, Mr. Brown, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Durbin, Mrs.
Gillibrand, Ms. Klobuchar, and Ms. Rosen) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To increase the participation of historically underrepresented
demographic groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
education and industry.
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 ``Women and Minorities in STEM Booster
Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM TO INCREASE THE PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN AND
UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES IN STEM FIELDS.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) According to the National Academy of Sciences, STEM
education at the undergraduate level is vital to developing a
workforce that will allow the United States to remain the
leader in the 21st century global economy.
(2) According to a recent American Community Survey Report
on disparities in STEM employment conducted in 2013, women
comprise about half of the United States workforce but only
make up 26 percent of STEM workers.
(3) According to the National Science Foundation, women
only represent 28 percent of all science and engineering
workers, comprising 29 percent of physical scientists, 25
percent of computer and mathematical scientists, and 13 percent
of engineers.
(4) According to the National Center of Education
Statistics (NCES), women were more likely than men to switch
out of STEM majors--32 percent compared to 26 percent.
(5) Additionally, NCES found that while a higher percentage
of bachelor's degrees were awarded to females than to males in
2016, (58 percent compared to 42 percent), within STEM fields a
lower percentage of bachelor's degrees were awarded to females
than to males (36 percent compared to 64 percent).
(6) According to the 2010 Association of American
University Women report ``Why So Few?'' approximately 52
percent of women in STEM fields quit their jobs about 10 years
into their careers. It is important for gender equality to
increase the retention of women in STEM fields, as women in
STEM careers earn 33 percent more than those in non-STEM jobs,
and have a smaller wage gap relative to men.
(7) According to recent Census Bureau projections,
minorities will account for 57 percent of the United States
population by 2060.
(8) According to the National Action Council for Minorities
in Engineering, Inc., as the United States works to remain
competitive in the world of technological innovation, the
United States should address the need to increase the number of
individuals from underrepresented minority segments of the
population who work in engineering.
(9) The Higher Education Research Institute at the
University of California, Los Angeles, found that, while
freshmen from underrepresented minority groups express an
interest in pursuing a STEM undergraduate degree at the same
rate as all other freshmen, only 22 percent of Latino students,
18 percent of African-American students, and 19 percent of
Native American students studying in STEM fields complete their
degree within 5 years, compared to around 33 percent and 42
percent 5-year completion rates for White and Asian students,
respectively.
(10) According to the 2015 Asian Americans Advancing
Justice report ``Making America Work'', data on Asian Americans
and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) on average hide the fact that
some subgroups are underrepresented in STEM fields, with only 9
percent of Cambodian, 8 percent of Laotian, 8 percent of Hmong,
and 7 percent of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander workers
hold STEM jobs, compared to 12 percent of the total American
population holding STEM jobs.
(11) According to 3-year estimates from the 2013 American
Community Survey, Southeast Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders have higher poverty rates and lower educational
attainment rates compared to the overall population.
(12) Additionally, while 15 percent of the overall
population lives below the Federal poverty level, several
minority populations have significantly higher poverty rates
including 20 percent of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders,
21 percent of Cambodian, 28 percent of Hmong, 17 percent of
Laotian, and 33 percent of Bhutanese Americans. Compared to 30
percent of the overall population with a bachelor's degree or
higher, less than 20 percent of Pacific Islanders, Cambodians,
Hmongs, Laotians, and Bhutanese had a bachelor's degree or
higher at rates of 15 percent, 18 percent, 17 percent, 16
percent, and 9 percent, respectively. Levels of poverty and
postsecondary educational attainment correlate with these
groups' underrepresentation in STEM employment. Other Asian
American and Pacific Islander subgroups with similar poverty
and educational attainment rates are similarly underrepresented
in STEM employment.
(13) A 2014 National Center for Education Statistics study
found that women and underrepresented minorities leave the STEM
fields at higher rates than their counterparts, leading to a
need to develop resources to retain these groups in the STEM
fields.
(b) Program Authorized.--The Director of the National Science
Foundation shall award grants to eligible entities, on a competitive
basis, to enable such eligible entities to carry out the activities
described in subsection (d), in order to increase the participation of
women and underrepresented minorities in the fields of science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics.
(c) Application.--Each eligible entity that desires to receive a
grant under this section shall submit an application to the National
Science Foundation at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Director of the National Science Foundation may
reasonably require.
(d) Authorized Activities.--An eligible entity that receives a
grant under this section shall use such grant funds to carry out one or
more of the following activities designed to increase the participation
of women or minorities underrepresented in science and engineering, or
both:
(1) Online workshops.
(2) Mentoring programs that partner science, technology,
engineering, or mathematics professionals with students.
(3) Internships for undergraduate and graduate students in
the fields of science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics.
(4) Conducting outreach programs that provide elementary
school and secondary school students with opportunities to
increase their exposure to the fields of science, technology,
engineering, or mathematics.
(5) Programs to increase the recruitment and retention of
underrepresented faculty.
(6) Such additional programs as the Director of the
National Science Foundation may determine.
(e) Definitions.--In this Act--
(1) the term ``minority'' means American Indian, Alaskan
Native, Black (not of Hispanic origin), Hispanic (including
persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Central or South
American origin), Asian (including underrepresented subgroups),
Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander origin subgroup, or other
ethnic group underrepresented in science and engineering; and
(2) the term ``underrepresented in science and
engineering'' means a minority group whose number of scientists
and engineers per 10,000 population of that group is
substantially below the comparable figure for scientists and
engineers who are White and not of Hispanic origin, as
determined by the Secretary of Education under section 637.4(b)
of title 34, Code of Federal Regulations.
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $15,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
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