II 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1796 

To increase the participation of women, girls, and underrepresented minorities 

in STEM fields, to encourage and support students from all economic 

backgrounds to pursue STEM career opportunities, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 10, 2013 

Mrs. GILLIBRAND 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 women, girls, and underrepresented minorities in STEM fields, to encourage and 

support students from all economic backgrounds to pursue STEM career opportunities, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘STEM Gateways Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

6 Congress finds the following: 

7 (1) According to a 2013 Census Bureau study, 

8 women’s representation in STEM occupations has 


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1 increased since the 1970s, but women remain sig2 nificantly underrepresented in engineering and com3 puting occupations that make up more than 80 per4 cent of all STEM employment. Women’s representa5 tion in computer occupations has declined since the 

6 1990s. In 2011, 26 percent of STEM workers were 

7 women. According to the National Action Council 

8 for Minorities in Engineering, Inc. (NACME), the 

9 number of engineering degrees awarded to African10 American women has steadily declined since the late 

11 1990s. 

12 (2) According to the Brookings Institution 

13 2013 report, ‘‘The Hidden STEM Economy’’, half of 

14 all STEM jobs are available to workers without a 4- 

15 year college degree, and these jobs pay $53,000 per 

16 year on average. This sector of the STEM economy 

17 offers job opportunities for many workers with quali18 fied certificates or associate’s degrees, drawing from 

19 high schools, workforce training programs, voca20 tional schools, and community colleges. Despite 

these opportunities, only 1 21 ⁄5 of the $4,300,000,000 

22 spent annually by the Federal Government on 

23 STEM education and training goes towards sup24 porting sub-bachelor’s level training. 


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1 (3) According to a 2011 report by the Depart2 ment of Commerce, underrepresented minorities ac3 count for only 3 out of 10 professionals in STEM 

4 fields. 

5 (4) STEM workers in all demographic groups 

6 earn more than their non-STEM counterparts. 

7 (5) According to the America After 3pm report, 

8 children from African-American, Hispanic, and Na9 tive American populations participate in afterschool 

10 programs in greater numbers than the average. Girls 

11 also participate in equal numbers to boys in such 

12 programs. Afterschool learning thus represents an 

13 intervention point to engage with populations cur14 rently underrepresented in STEM fields and careers. 

15 SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED. 

16 (a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—From the amounts ap17 propriated to carry out this section, the Secretary shall 

18 award grants to eligible entities, on a competitive basis, 

19 to enable such eligible entities to carry out programs de20 scribed in subsection (d) to achieve, with respect to women 

21 and girls, underrepresented minorities, and individuals 

22 from all economic backgrounds, (including economically 

23 disadvantaged individuals and individuals living in eco24 nomically distressed areas), 1 or more of the following 

25 goals: 


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1 (1) Encourage interest in the STEM fields at 

2 the elementary school or secondary school levels. 

3 (2) Motivate engagement in STEM fields by 

4 providing relevant hands-on learning opportunities 

5 at the elementary school and secondary school levels. 

6 (3) Support classroom success in STEM dis7 ciplines at the elementary school or secondary school 

8 levels. 

9 (4) Support workforce training and career prep10 aration in STEM fields at the secondary school level. 

11 (5) Improve access to career and continuing 

12 education opportunities in STEM fields at the sec13 ondary school level. 

14 (b) LIMITATION.—The Secretary may award grants 

15 under this section for not longer than a 5-year period. 

16 (c) APPLICATION.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—Each eligible entity that de18 sires to receive a grant under this section shall sub19 mit an application to the Secretary at such time, in 

20 such manner, and containing such information as 

21 the Secretary may reasonably require. 

22 (2) CONTENTS.—An application submitted 

23 under paragraph (1) shall contain— 


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1 (A) in the case of an eligible entity that 

2 plans to use the grant funds at the elementary 

3 school level— 

4 (i) a description of the programs the 

5 eligible entity will carry out to achieve 1 or 

6 more of the goals described in paragraphs 

7 (1) through (3) of subsection (a) at the el8 ementary school level, including the con9 tent of the programs and research and 

10 models used to design the programs; and 

11 (ii) a description of how the programs 

12 described in clause (i) will support the suc13 cess of women and girls, underrepresented 

14 minorities, and individuals from all eco15 nomic backgrounds (including economically 

16 disadvantaged individuals and individuals 

17 living in economically distressed areas) in 

18 STEM education, such as— 

19 (I) recruiting such individuals to 

20 participate in the programs; 

21 (II) supporting educators who 

22 will lead the programs, and partici23 pants in the programs; 

24 (III) encouraging partnerships 

25 between in-school and out-of-school 


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1 educators, such as afterschool pro2 viders, science centers, and museums; 

3 (IV) identifying public and pri4 vate partners that are able to support 

5 the programs; and 

6 (V) planning for sustaining the 

7 programs financially beyond the grant 

8 period; and 

9 (B) in the case of an eligible entity that 

10 plans to use the grant funds at the secondary 

11 school level— 

12 (i) a description of the programs the 

13 eligible entity will carry out to achieve 1 or 

14 more of the goals described in paragraphs 

15 (1) through (5) of subsection (a) at the 

16 secondary school level, including the con17 tent of the programs and research and 

18 models used to design the programs; 

19 (ii) a description of how the programs 

20 described in clause (i) will support the suc21 cess of women and girls, underrepresented 

22 minorities, and individuals from all eco23 nomic backgrounds (including economically 

24 disadvantaged individuals and individuals 

25 living in economically distressed areas) in 


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1 STEM education and workforce training 

2 that prepares such individuals to take ad3 vantage of employment opportunities in 

4 STEM fields, such as— 

5 (I) recruiting such individuals to 

6 participate in the programs; 

7 (II) supporting educators who 

8 will lead such programs, and partici9 pants in the programs; 

10 (III) identifying public and pri11 vate partners that are able to support 

12 the programs; 

13 (IV) partnering with institutions 

14 of higher education or institutions 

15 providing informal science education, 

16 such as afterschool programs and 

17 science centers and museums; 

18 (V) partnering with institutions 

19 of higher education; and 

20 (VI) planning for sustaining the 

21 programs financially beyond the grant 

22 period; 

23 (iii) a review of the industry and busi24 ness workforce needs, including the deVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:22 Dec 13, 2013 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1796.IS S1796

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1 mand for workers with knowledge or train2 ing in a STEM field; and 

3 (iv) an analysis of job openings that 

4 require knowledge or training in a STEM 

5 field. 

6 (d) USE OF FUNDS.— 

7 (1) REQUIRED USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible en8 tity that receives a grant under this section shall use 

9 such grant funds to carry out programs to achieve 

10 1 or more of the goals described in subsection (a) 

11 at the elementary school or secondary school levels, 

12 with respect to women and girls, underrepresented 

13 minorities, and students from all economic back14 grounds (including economically disadvantaged indi15 viduals, and students living in economically dis16 tressed areas). 

17 (2) AUTHORIZED USE OF FUNDS.—The pro18 grams described in paragraph (1) may include any 

19 of the following activities, with respect to the indi20 viduals described in paragraph (1): 

21 (A) Carrying out the activities described in 

22 subparagraph (A)(ii) or (B)(ii) of subsection 

23 (c)(2), as appropriate. 

24 (B) Providing professional development for 

25 teachers, afterschool providers, and other school 


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1 personnel in elementary schools or secondary 

2 schools, including professional development to 

3 encourage, through academic instruction and 

4 support, such individuals to pursue advanced 

5 classes and careers in STEM fields. 

6 (C) Providing tutoring and mentoring pro7 grams in STEM fields. 

8 (D) Establishing partnerships with institu9 tions of higher education, potential employers, 

10 and other industry stakeholders that expose 

11 such individuals to professionals in STEM 

12 fields, or providing opportunities for postsec13 ondary academic credits or credentials. 

14 (E) Providing after-school activities and 

15 other informal learning opportunities designed 

16 to encourage interest and develop skills in 

17 STEM fields. 

18 (F) Providing summer programs to extend 

19 learning time and to deepen the skills and in20 terest in STEM fields of such individuals. 

21 (G) Purchasing and utilizing— 

22 (i) educational or instructional mate23 rials that are designed to improve edu24 cational outcomes in STEM fields, and will 


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1 serve to deepen the skills and interest in 

2 STEM fields of such individuals; or 

3 (ii) equipment, instrumentation, or 

4 hardware used to teach and encourage in5 terest in STEM fields. 

6 (H) Internships or opportunities for expe7 riential learning in STEM fields. 

8 (e) REPORT.— 

9 (1) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—Each eligible entity 

10 receiving a grant under this Act shall, on an annual 

11 basis, submit a report to the Secretary on the use 

12 of funds and the number of students who partici13 pated in the programs carried out with the grant 

14 funds. 

15 (2) SECRETARY.—The Secretary shall, on an 

16 annual basis, and using the reports received under 

17 paragraph (1), report to Congress on the overall im18 pact and effectiveness of the grant program under 

19 this Act. 

20 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 

21 In this Act: 

22 (1) ESEA DEFINITIONS.—The terms ‘‘edu23 cational service agency’’, ‘‘local educational agency’’, 

24 ‘‘institution of higher education’’, ‘‘Secretary’’, and 

25 ‘‘State’’ have the meanings given the terms in secVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:19 Dec 14, 2013 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1796.IS S1796

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1 tion 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu2 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 

3 (2) COMMUNITY COLLEGE.—The term ‘‘commu4 nity college’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘junior 

5 or community college’’ in section 312 of the Higher 

6 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1058). 

7 (3) ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED INDI8 VIDUAL.—The term ‘‘economically disadvantaged in9 dividual’’ has the meaning given the term in section 

10 400.4 of title 34, Code of Federal Regulations, as 

11 such section is in effect on the date of enactment of 

12 this Act. 

13 (4) ECONOMICALLY DISTRESSED AREA.—The 

14 term ‘‘economically distressed area’’ means a county 

15 or equivalent division of local government of a State 

16 in which, according to the most recently available 

17 data from the Bureau of the Census, 40 percent or 

18 more of the residents have an annual income that is 

19 at or below the poverty level. 

20 (5) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti21 ty’’ means— 

22 (A) a local educational agency; 

23 (B) an educational service agency serving 

24 more than 1 local educational agency; 


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1 (C) a consortium of local educational agen2 cies; 

3 (D) a nonprofit organization that— 

4 (i) works with elementary schools, sec5 ondary schools, or institutions of higher 

6 education; and 

7 (ii) has demonstrated a commitment 

8 to achieving the goals described in para9 graphs (1) through (4) of section 3(a); or 

10 (E) a community college working in part11 nership with secondary schools to create oppor12 tunities for dual enrollment, credit transfer, or 

13 accelerated postsecondary credentialing. 

14 (6) PARTNERS.—The term ‘‘partners’’ means 

15 organizations that employ workers in STEM-related 

16 careers or organizations with demonstrated expertise 

17 in identifying, scaling, and implementing successful 

18 practices in STEM education and workforce develop19 ment. 

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

21 technology, engineering, and mathematics. 

22 (8) UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY.—The 

23 term ‘‘underrepresented minority’’ has the meaning 

24 given the term ‘‘minority’’ in section 637.4(b) of 


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1 title 34, Code of Federal Regulations, as such sec2 tion is in effect on the date of enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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