PUBLIC LAW 114–59—OCT. 7, 2015 

STEM EDUCATION ACT OF 2015 


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129 STAT. 540 PUBLIC LAW 114–59—OCT. 7, 2015 

Public Law 114–59 

114th Congress 

An Act 

To define STEM education to include computer science, and to support existing 

STEM education programs at the National Science Foundation. 

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 ‘‘STEM Education Act of 2015’’. 

SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF STEM EDUCATION. 

For purposes of carrying out STEM education activities at 

the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Institute of 

Standards and Technology, and the Environmental Protection 

Agency, the term ‘‘STEM education’’ means education in the subjects 

of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, including computer science. 

SEC. 3. INFORMAL STEM EDUCATION. 

(a) GRANTS.—The Director of the National Science Foundation, 

through the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, shall 

continue to award competitive, merit-reviewed grants to support— 

(1) research and development of innovative out-of-school 

STEM learning and emerging STEM learning environments 

in order to improve STEM learning outcomes and engagement 

in STEM; and 

(2) research that advances the field of informal STEM 

education. 

(b) USES OF FUNDS.—Activities supported by grants under this 

section may encompass a single STEM discipline, multiple STEM 

disciplines, or integrative STEM initiatives and shall include— 

(1) research and development that improves our understanding of learning and engagement in informal environments, 

including the role of informal environments in broadening 

participation in STEM; and 

(2) design and testing of innovative STEM learning models, 

programs, and other resources for informal learning environments to improve STEM learning outcomes and increase 

engagement for K–12 students, K–12 teachers, and the general 

public, including design and testing of the scalability of models, 

programs, and other resources. 

SEC. 4. NOYCE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AMENDMENTS. 

(a) AMENDMENTS.—Section 10A of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n–1a) is amended— 

42 USC 1862q. 

42 USC 6621 

note. 

STEM Education 

Act of 2015. 

42 USC 1861 

note. 

Oct. 7, 2015 

[H.R. 1020] 


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PUBLIC LAW 114–59—OCT. 7, 2015 129 STAT. 541 

(1) in subsection (a)(2)(B), by inserting ‘‘or bachelor’s’’ after 

‘‘master’s’’; 

(2) in subsection (c)— 

(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph (2)(B); 

(B) in paragraph (3)— 

(i) by inserting ‘‘for teachers with master’s degrees 

in their field’’ after ‘‘Teaching Fellowships’’; and 

(ii) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (B) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(C) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 

‘‘(4) in the case of National Science Foundation Master 

Teaching Fellowships for teachers with bachelor’s degrees in 

their field and working toward a master’s degree— 

‘‘(A) offering academic courses leading to a master’s 

degree and leadership training to prepare individuals to 

become master teachers in elementary and secondary 

schools; and 

‘‘(B) offering programs both during and after matriculation in the program for which the fellowship is received 

to enable fellows to become highly effective mathematics 

and science teachers, including mentoring, training, induction, and professional development activities, to fulfill the 

service requirements of this section, including the requirements of subsection (e), and to exchange ideas with others 

in their fields.’’; 

(3) in subsections (e) and (f), by striking ‘‘subsection (g)’’ 

each place it appears, and inserting ‘‘subsection (h)’’; 

(4) by redesignating subsections (g) through (i) as subsections (h) through (j), respectively; and 

(5) by inserting after subsection (f) the following new subsection: 

‘‘(g) SUPPORT FOR MASTER TEACHING FELLOWS WHILE

ENROLLED IN A MASTER’S DEGREE PROGRAM.—A National Science 

Foundation Master Teacher Fellow may receive a maximum of 

1 year of fellowship support while enrolled in a master’s degree 

program as described in subsection (c)(4)(A), except that if such 

fellow is enrolled in a part-time program, such amount shall be 

prorated according to the length of the program.’’. 

(b) DEFINITION.—Section 10(i)(5) of the National Science 

Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n–1(i)(5)) 


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129 STAT. 542 PUBLIC LAW 114–59—OCT. 7, 2015 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 1020: 

SENATE REPORTS: No. 114–115 (Comm. on Commerce, Science, and Transportation). 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 161 (2015): 

Feb. 24, 25, considered and passed House. 

Sept. 24, considered and passed Senate, amended. 

Oct. 1, House concurred in Senate amendment. 

Æ 

is amended by inserting ‘‘computer science,’’ after ‘‘means a 

science,’’. 

Approved October 7, 2015. 


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