I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4570 

To amend the Department of Agriculture program for research and extension 

grants to increase participation by women and underrepresented minorities in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 

to redesignate the program as the ‘‘Jeannette Rankin Women and Minorities in STEM Fields Program’’. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 12, 2016 

Ms. MENG (for herself and Mr. ZINKE) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To amend the Department of Agriculture program for research and extension grants to increase participation by 

women and underrepresented minorities in the fields of 

science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to redesignate the program as the ‘‘Jeannette Rankin Women 

and Minorities in STEM Fields Program’’. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘100 Years of Women 

5 in Congress Act’’. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 4570 IH

1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) The first woman elected to Congress, Rep4 resentative Jeannette Rankin from Montana, was 

5 elected on November 7, 1916, almost four years 

6 prior to ratification of the 19th Amendment to the 

7 U.S. Constitution giving women the right to vote. 

8 (2) Jeannette Rankin was not only a pioneer in 

9 national electoral politics, she was also a pioneer as 

10 a woman in science, graduating from the University 

11 of Montana in 1902 with a Bachelor of Science de12 gree in biology. 

13 (3) 100 years after the election of Jeannette 

14 Rankin, 108 women serve in the 114th Congress, 

15 more than at any other time in our Nation’s history. 

16 While this improvement is commendable, women 

17 hold only 20 percent of the seats in Congress, far 

18 below their relative share of the American electorate. 

19 (4) According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Sta20 tistics, women make up 47 percent of the total U.S. 

21 workforce. Gains have been made in the science, 

22 technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) 

23 fields over time, but women still comprise only 39 

24 percent of chemists and material scientists, 28 per25 cent of environmental scientists and geoscientists, 16 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 4570 IH

1 percent of chemical engineers, and 12 percent of 

2 civil engineers. 

3 (5) More must be done to encourage women to 

4 run for elected office and to enter STEM fields. 

5 SEC. 3. JEANNETTE RANKIN WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN 

6 STEM FIELDS PROGRAM. 

7 Paragraph (7) of section 1672(d) of the Food, Agri8 culture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 

9 5925(d)(7)) is amended to read as follows: 

10 ‘‘(7) JEANNETTE RANKIN WOMEN AND MINORI11 TIES IN STEM FIELDS PROGRAM.—Research and ex12 tension grants may be made under this section to in13 crease participation by women and underrepresented 

14 minorities from rural areas in the fields of science, 

15 technology, engineering, and mathematics, with pri16 ority given to eligible institutions that carry out con17 tinuing programs funded by the Secretary. Any 

18 grant made under this paragraph shall be known 

19 and designated as a ‘Jeannette Rankin Women and 

20 Minorities in STEM Fields Program Grant’.’’. 

Æ 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS