IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 29 

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the need for increased diversity and inclusion in the tech sector, and increased access to opportunity 

in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) 

education. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 

Ms. LEE (for herself, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, Mr. RICHMOND, Ms. 

MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. 

KHANNA, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE

JOHNSON of Texas, and Ms. KELLY of Illinois) submitted the following 

concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education 

and the Workforce 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the need 

for increased diversity and inclusion in the tech sector, 

and increased access to opportunity in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) 

education. 

Whereas there will be 1,400,000 new tech jobs by 2020, however, 70 percent of those jobs will be unfulfilled at the 

rate United States universities are currently producing 

qualified graduates; 

Whereas in 2013, the United States slipped to 10th place 

among Organization for Economic Co-operation and DeVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:54 Feb 17, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HC29.IH HC29

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•HCON 29 IH 

velopment (OECD) nations in overall research and development as a percentage of gross domestic product 

(GDP); 

Whereas communities of color (African-Americans, Latinos, 

Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders) are woefully underrepresented in corporate leadership roles, including the technology sector; 

Whereas African-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and 

Pacific Islanders are disproportionately underrepresented 

in the technology sector; 

Whereas African-Americans and Latinos make up 27 percent 

of the United States workforce, but make up only 13.8 

percent of the science and engineering workforce, and 

only 11 percent of computer science professionals; 

Whereas women make up 57.7 percent of the United States 

workforce, but make up only 46.0 percent of the science 

and engineering workforce, and only 24 percent of computer science professionals; 

Whereas women of color represent less than 10 percent of all 

computer science professionals (African-American: 2.6 

percent; Hispanic: 1.3 percent; American Indian or Alaska Native: less than 0.02 percent; and Asian: 6 percent); 

Whereas 50 to 70 percent of employees in tech companies 

work in non-tech positions, for which an existing pipeline 

of qualified African-American and Latinos currently exists; 

Whereas a pipeline of qualified technical candidates is critical 

as the tech industry improves its recruiting, hiring, and 

retaining candidates and employees of color; 

Whereas underrepresented minority students overall face an 

opportunity gap in STEAM education; 


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Whereas women of color particularly face an achievement gap 

in science and engineering education; 

Whereas in 2012, women received 48.8 percent of all bachelor’s degrees in science and engineering majors; 

Whereas in 2012, women of color received only 15.7 percent 

of all bachelor’s degrees in science and engineering majors (African-American: 5.3 percent; Hispanic: 5.5 percent; American Indian or Alaska Native: 0.3 percent, and 

Asian or Pacific Islander: 4.6 percent); 

Whereas women overall face a large opportunity gap in computer science; 

Whereas in 2012, women received only 18 percent of all 

bachelor’s degrees in computer science; 

Whereas in 2012, women of color received only 6.6 percent 

of all bachelor’s degrees in computer science (AfricanAmerican: 3.0 percent; Hispanic: 1.7 percent; American 

Indian or Alaska Native: 0.1 percent, and Asian or Pacific Islander: 1.8 percent); 

Whereas the opportunity and achievement gap between boys 

and girls starts early; 

Whereas in 2015, less than 15 percent of high schools offered 

the Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science course; 

Whereas in 2015, only 22 percent of AP Computer Science 

test takers were girls, and 13 percent were African-American or Latino; and 

Whereas there is a dearth of disaggregated data to show academic attainment across different Asian American and 

Pacific Islander communities: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That Congress supports efforts to— 


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1 (1) increase diversity and inclusion in the tech2 nology sector, including robust plans to ensure re3 cruitment, training, and retention of underrep4 resented minorities at all levels, from the boardroom 

5 to the senior executive level, to rank and file employ6 ees, as well as vendors; 

7 (2) eliminate barriers faced by people of color, 

8 and other underrepresented groups when breaking 

9 into the technology sector; 

10 (3) ensure all students have access to science, 

11 technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics 

12 (STEAM) education for a 21st century economy, in13 cluding computer science education in particular; 

14 (4) strengthen investments in, and collabora15 tions with educational institutions including commu16 nity colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Univer17 sities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Asian American 

18 and Native American Pacific Islander-serving insti19 tutions, American Indian Tribally controlled colleges 

20 and universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawai21 ian-serving institutions, predominantly Black institu22 tions, Native American-serving, Nontribal institu23 tions, and other minority-serving institutions to sus24 tain a pipeline of diverse STEAM graduates ready 

25 to enter the technology sector; and 


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1 (5) improve data collection, disaggregation, and 

2 dissemination of information for greater under3 standing and transparency of diversity in STEAM 

4 education and across the workforce. 

Æ 


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