II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5391 

To establish a National STEM Week to promote American innovation and 

enhance STEM education pathways for all students, including those 

in rural, urban, and underserved communities. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 21, 2024 

Ms. ERNST (for herself and Ms. KLOBUCHAR) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 

Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To establish a National STEM Week to promote American 

innovation and enhance STEM education pathways for 

all students, including those in rural, urban, and underserved communities. 

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 ‘‘National STEM Week 

5 Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
2 

•S 5391 IS

1 (1) Science, technology, engineering, and math2 ematics (STEM) fields are crucial to the economic 

3 competitiveness and innovative capacity of the 

4 United States. 

5 (2) There exists a need to enhance access to 

6 quality STEM education across all demographics 

7 and regions to address disparities in STEM partici8 pation and to ensure a diverse and capable future 

9 workforce. 

10 (3) Informal and formal learning environments, 

11 including afterschool programs and at-home activi12 ties, play significant roles in stimulating interest and 

13 proficiency in STEM subjects. 

14 (4) Collaborations between educational institu15 tions, industry partners, and communities can effec16 tively inspire and prepare students for careers in 

17 STEM. 

18 SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF NATIONAL STEM WEEK. 

19 The National Science and Technology Council Com20 mittee on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathe21 matics Education (CoSTEM), in consultation with other 

22 relevant stakeholders, shall designate a week each cal23 endar year as ‘‘National STEM Week’’. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
3 

•S 5391 IS

1 SEC. 4. PURPOSES OF NATIONAL STEM WEEK. 

2 (a) PURPOSES.—The purposes of National STEM 

3 Week are, through the programs and activities described 

4 subsection (b), to— 

5 (1) highlight the importance of STEM edu6 cation in educational institutions across the country; 

7 (2) showcase diverse career pathways within 

8 STEM fields in both classroom settings and informal 

9 learning environments; 

10 (3) encourage family engagement with STEM 

11 activities at home to foster a conducive learning en12 vironment; 

13 (4) facilitate partnerships between educational 

14 institutions and industry leaders to provide students 

15 with real-world applications and mentorship opportu16 nities in STEM fields; and 

17 (5) support States and local communities in de18 veloping and promoting their own STEM Week ac19 tivities and resources, tailored to their unique edu20 cational and industrial landscapes. 

21 (b) PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES.—During National 

22 STEM Week, the National Science and Technology Coun23 cil Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering, and 

24 Mathematics Education (CoSTEM) shall carry out the fol25 lowing: 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
4 

•S 5391 IS

1 (1) EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES.—Encourage 

2 educational institutions to participate in National 

3 STEM Week. 

4 (2) COMMUNITY AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT.— 

5 Encourage families of students attending the edu6 cational institutions participating in National STEM 

7 Week to participate in STEM activities. 

8 (3) INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT.—Encourage 

9 STEM industries to— 

10 (A) engage with students enrolled in edu11 cational institutions by providing mentorship 

12 programs, site visits, and guest lectures; and 

13 (B) support STEM education initiatives at 

14 such educational institutions through funding, 

15 resources, and expertise. 

16 SEC. 5. REPORTING AND EVALUATION. 

17 Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 

18 of this Act, and on an annual basis thereafter, the Na19 tional Science and Technology Council Committee on 

20 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics 

21 (CoSTEM) shall submit to Congress a report detailing the 

22 activities conducted under National STEM Week, includ23 ing— 

24 (1) a summary of nationwide participation and 

25 activities; 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
5 

•S 5391 IS

1 (2) an analysis of the impact of these activities 

2 on improving STEM education and closing edu3 cational gaps; and 

4 (3) recommendations for improving future 

5 STEM Weeks based on feedback from participants 

6 and stakeholders. 

7 SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 

8 In this Act: 

9 (1) EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION.—The term 

10 ‘‘educational institution’’ means any elementary 

11 school, secondary school, and institution of higher 

12 education. 

13 (2) ELEMENTARY SCHOOL; SECONDARY

14 SCHOOL.—The terms ‘‘elementary school’’ and ‘‘sec15 ondary school’’ have the meanings given the terms 

16 in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary 

17 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 

18 (3) INDUSTRY LEADER.—The term ‘‘industry 

19 leader’’ means an individual in a leadership position 

20 within an industry partner who has the authority to 

21 make strategic decisions and allocate resources to 

22 support the purposes of National STEM Week. 

23 (4) INDUSTRY PARTNER.—The term ‘‘industry 

24 partner’’ means a for-profit or nonprofit entity seekVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:21 Dec 05, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S5391.IS S5391

kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
6 

•S 5391 IS

1 ing to support the purposes of National STEM 

2 Week. 

3 (5) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 

4 term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 

5 meaning given the term in section 102 of the Higher 

6 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002). 

7 (6) STEM.—The term ‘‘STEM’’ means science, 

8 technology, engineering, and mathematics. 

9 (7) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 

10 the 50 States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 

11 the District of Columbia, Guam, American Samoa, 

12 the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Is13 lands, and the United States Virgin Islands. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB