I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2773 

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide 

grants to local educational agencies to encourage girls and underrepresented minorities to pursue studies and careers in science, mathematics, 

engineering, and technology. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 15, 2015 

Mrs. BEATTY (for herself, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. 

CICILLINE, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Ms. PLASKETT, 

Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. RANGEL, Ms. LEE, Mrs. KIRKPATRICK, Ms. 

BROWN of Florida, Ms. ESTY, Mr. HINOJOSA, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. 

MEEKS, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Ms. NORTON, Mr. THOMPSON of California, 

Mrs. BUSTOS, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, 

Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. HONDA, and Mr. VAN HOLLEN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

A BILL 

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 

of 1965 to provide grants to local educational agencies 

to encourage girls and underrepresented minorities to 

pursue studies and careers in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology. 

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


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘21st Century STEM 

3 for Girls and Underrepresented Minorities Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. GRANTS TO PREPARE GIRLS AND UNDERREP5 RESENTED MINORITIES. 

6 Title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education 

7 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6001 et seq.) is amended by add8 ing at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘PART E—PREPARING GIRLS AND UNDERREP10 RESENTED MINORITIES FOR THE 21ST CEN11 TURY 

12 ‘‘SEC. 5701. PROGRAM AUTHORITY. 

13 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—From funds provided under sec14 tion 5702, the Secretary is authorized to provide grants 

15 to local educational agencies on behalf of elementary and 

16 secondary schools to establish and implement a program 

17 to encourage the ongoing development of programs and 

18 curriculum for girls and underrepresented minorities in 

19 science, mathematics, engineering, and technology and to 

20 prepare girls and underrepresented minorities to pursue 

21 undergraduate and graduate degrees and careers in 

22 science, mathematics, engineering, or technology. 

23 ‘‘(b) APPLICATION.— 

24 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a 

25 grant, or enter into a contract or cooperative agree26 ment, under this part, a local educational agency 


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1 shall submit an application to the Secretary at such 

2 time, in such form, and containing such information 

3 as the Secretary may reasonably require. 

4 ‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—The application shall con5 tain, at a minimum, the following: 

6 ‘‘(A) A program description, including the 

7 content of the program and the research and 

8 models used to design the program. 

9 ‘‘(B) A description of the collaboration be10 tween elementary and secondary schools to ful11 fill goals of the program and how the applicant 

12 will ensure that there is a comprehensive plan 

13 to improve science, mathematics, engineering, 

14 and technology education for girls and under15 represented minorities in grades kindergarten 

16 through 12. 

17 ‘‘(C) A description of the process for re18 cruitment and selection of participants. 

19 ‘‘(D) A description of the planned instruc20 tional and motivational activities. 

21 ‘‘(E) A description of any collaboration 

22 among local, regional, or national institutions 

23 and organizations that will occur in order to 

24 fulfill the goals of the program. 


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1 ‘‘(3) PRIORITY.—In selecting among applica2 tions, the Secretary shall give priority to applicants 

3 that partner or coordinate, to the extent possible, 

4 with local, regional, or national institutions and or5 ganizations who have extensive experience, expertise 

6 and research on increasing the participation of girls 

7 or underrepresented minorities in science, mathe8 matics, engineering and technology. 

9 ‘‘(c) USE OF FUNDS.—Funds provided under this 

10 section shall be used for the following: 

11 ‘‘(1) Preparing girls and underrepresented mi12 norities with careers in science, mathematics, engi13 neering, and technology, and the advantages of pur14 suing careers in these areas. 

15 ‘‘(2) Educating the parents of girls and under16 represented minorities about the opportunities and 

17 advantages of science, mathematics, engineering, 

18 and technology careers. 

19 ‘‘(3) Enlisting the help of the parents of girls 

20 and underrepresented minorities in overcoming the 

21 obstacles these groups face and encouraging their 

22 child’s continued interest and involvement in science, 

23 mathematics, engineering, and technology. 


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1 ‘‘(4) Providing tutoring and mentoring pro2 grams in science, mathematics, engineering, and 

3 technology. 

4 ‘‘(5) Establishing partnerships and other oppor5 tunities that expose girls and underrepresented mi6 norities to role models in the fields of science, math7 ematics, engineering and technology. 

8 ‘‘(6) Enabling female and underrepresented mi9 nority students and their teachers to attend events 

10 and academic programs in science, mathematics, en11 gineering, and technology. 

12 ‘‘(7) Providing after-school activities designed 

13 to encourage interest, and develop skills of girls and 

14 underrepresented minorities, in science, mathe15 matics, engineering, and technology. 

16 ‘‘(8) Summer programs designed in order that 

17 girls and underrepresented minorities develop an in18 terest in, develop skills in, and understand the rel19 evance and significance of, science, mathematics, en20 gineering, and technology. 

21 ‘‘(9) Purchasing— 

22 ‘‘(A) educational instructional materials or 

23 software designed to encourage interest of girls 

24 and underrepresented minorities in science, 

25 mathematics, engineering, and technology; or 


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1 ‘‘(B) equipment, instrumentation, or hard2 ware used for teaching and to encourage inter3 est of girls and underrepresented minorities in 

4 science, mathematics, engineering, and tech5 nology. 

6 ‘‘(10) Field trips to locations, including institu7 tions of higher education, to educate and encourage 

8 girls’ and underrepresented minorities’ interest in 

9 science, mathematics, engineering, and technology 

10 and acquaint them with careers in these fields. 

11 ‘‘(11) Providing academic advice and assistance 

12 in high school course selection that encourages girls 

13 and underrepresented minorities to take advanced 

14 courses in areas of science, technology, engineering, 

15 and mathematics. 

16 ‘‘(12) Paying up to 50 percent of the cost of an 

17 internship in science, mathematics, engineering, or 

18 technology for female and underrepresented minority 

19 students. 

20 ‘‘(13) Providing professional development for 

21 teachers and other school personnel, including— 

22 ‘‘(A) how to eliminate gender and racial 

23 bias in the classroom; 

24 ‘‘(B) how to be sensitive to gender and ra25 cial differences; 


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1 ‘‘(C) how to engage students in the face of 

2 gender-based and racial peer pressure and pa3 rental expectations; 

4 ‘‘(D) how to create and maintain a positive 

5 environment; and 

6 ‘‘(E) how to encourage girls and under7 served minorities through academic advice and 

8 assistance to pursue advanced classes and ca9 reers in science, mathematics, engineering, and 

10 technology fields. 

11 ‘‘(d) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.—The Secretary 

12 shall require each local educational agency to use the as13 sistance provided under this section only to supplement, 

14 and not to supplant, any other assistance or funds made 

15 available from non-Federal sources for the activities as16 sisted under this section. 

17 ‘‘(e) EVALUATIONS.—Each local educational agency 

18 that receives funds under this section shall provide the 

19 Secretary, at the conclusion of every school year during 

20 which the funds are received, with an evaluation, in a form 

21 prescribed by the Secretary. This evaluation shall in22 clude— 

23 ‘‘(1) a description of the programs and activi24 ties conducted by the local educational agency using 

25 the funds; 


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1 ‘‘(2) data on curriculum and partnerships devel2 oped using the funds; 

3 ‘‘(3) data on the amount of time spent on sub4 jects allowed for under the grant; and 

5 ‘‘(4) such other information as may be required 

6 by the Secretary. 

7 ‘‘SEC. 5702. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

8 ‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

9 this part $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2016 and such sums 

10 as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal 

11 years.’’. 

Æ 


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