II 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3475 

To increase the participation of historically underrepresented demographic 

groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education 

and industry. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 1, 2012 

Ms. LANDRIEU 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 historically underrepresented 

demographic groups in science, technology, engineering, 

and mathematics education and industry. 

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 ‘‘Women and Minorities 

5 in STEM Booster Act of 2012’’. 

6 SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM TO INCREASE THE PARTICIPA7 TION OF WOMEN AND UNDERREPRESENTED 

8 MINORITIES IN STEM FIELDS. 

9 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) One of the core missions of the National 

2 Science Foundation is ‘‘to achieve excellence in U.S. 

3 science, technology, engineering and mathematics 

4 (STEM) education’’. 

5 (2) According to the National Academy of 

6 Sciences, STEM education at the undergraduate 

7 level is vital to developing a workforce that will allow 

8 the United States to remain the leader in the 21st 

9 century global economy. 

10 (3) According to the National Academy of 

11 Sciences, in order to maintain scientific and engi12 neering leadership amid increasing economic and 

13 educational globalization, the United States must 

14 aggressively pursue the innovative capacity of all 

15 people in the United States—women and men. 

16 (4) According to the August 2011 report 

17 ‘‘Women in STEM: A Gender Gap to Innovation’’, 

18 the Department of Commerce found the following: 

19 (A) ‘‘According to the Census Bureau’s 

20 2009 American Community Survey (ACS), 

21 women comprise 48 percent of the U.S. work22 force but just 24 percent of STEM workers.’’. 

23 (B) ‘‘[B]etween 2000 and 2009, women’s 

24 share of the STEM workforce remained con25 stant at 24 percent, while their share of all colVerDate Mar 15 2010 05:33 Aug 04, 2012 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3475.IS S3475

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1 lege-educated workers increased from 46 to 49 

2 percent’’. 

3 (C) ‘‘The ACS data on undergraduate 

4 fields of study show that women account for 

5 nearly half of employed college graduates age 

6 25 and over, but only about 25 percent of em7 ployed STEM degree holders and an even 

8 smaller share—just about 20 percent—of 

9 STEM degree holders working in STEM jobs.’’. 

10 (5) In 2007, underrepresented minority groups 

11 comprised 33.2 percent of the college-age population 

12 of the United States, but only 17.7 percent of un13 dergraduate students earning a baccalaureate degree 

14 in a STEM field. 

15 (6) The Higher Education Research Institute at 

16 the University of California, Los Angeles, found 

17 that, while freshmen from underrepresented minority 

18 groups express an interest in pursuing a STEM un19 dergraduate degree at the same rate as all other 

20 freshmen, only 22.1 percent of Latino students, 18.4 

21 percent of African-American students, and 18.8 per22 cent of Native American students studying in STEM 

23 fields complete their degree within 5 years, com24 pared to an approximate 33 percent and 42 percent 


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1 5-year completion rate for White and Asian stu2 dents, respectively. 

3 (7) According to the National Action Council 

4 for Minorities in Engineering, Inc., no one race or 

5 ethnic category will be a majority by 2050, and as 

6 the United States works to remain competitive in 

7 the world of technological innovation, the United 

8 States should address the need to increase the num9 ber of individuals from underrepresented minority 

10 segments of the population who work in engineering. 

11 (b) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Director of the 

12 National Science Foundation, acting through the Edu13 cation and Human Resources Directorate and not less 

14 than 1 research directorate of the National Science Foun15 dation, shall award grants to eligible entities, on a com16 petitive basis, to enable such eligible entities to carry out 

17 the activities described in subsection (e), in order to in18 crease the participation of women and underrepresented 

19 minorities in the fields of science, technology, engineering, 

20 and mathematics. 

21 (c) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—In this section, the term ‘‘el22 igible entity’’ means— 

23 (1) a department of science, technology, engi24 neering, or mathematics at an institution of higher 


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1 education, as defined under section 101 of the High2 er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001); 

3 (2) a consortium of departments described in 

4 paragraph (1); 

5 (3) a department or consortium described in 

6 this subsection, in partnership with a department, 

7 college, or school of education at such institution of 

8 higher education; or 

9 (4) a nonprofit organization, which may in10 clude— 

11 (A) a nonprofit scientific or professional 

12 society or organization that represents one or 

13 more science or engineering disciplines; or 

14 (B) a nonprofit organization that has the 

15 primary mission of advancing the participation 

16 of underrepresented segments of the population 

17 in science and engineering. 

18 (d) APPLICATION.—Each eligible entity that desires 

19 to receive a grant under this section shall submit an appli20 cation to the Director of the National Science Foundation 

21 at such time, in such manner, and containing such infor22 mation as the Director of the National Science Founda23 tion may reasonably require. 

24 (e) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—An eligible entity that 

25 receives a grant under this section shall use such grant 


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1 funds to carry out the following activities designed to in2 crease the participation of women and underrepresented 

3 minorities in the fields of science, technology, engineering, 

4 and mathematics: 

5 (1) Online workshops. 

6 (2) Mentoring programs that partner science, 

7 technology, engineering, or mathematics profes8 sionals with students. 

9 (3) Internships for undergraduate and graduate 

10 students in the fields of science, technology, engi11 neering, and mathematics. 

12 (4) Conducting outreach programs that provide 

13 elementary school and secondary school students 

14 with opportunities to increase their exposure to the 

15 fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathe16 matics. 

17 (5) Such additional programs as the Director of 

18 the National Science Foundation may determine. 

19 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

20 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

21 $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2013, 2014, and 

22 2015. 

Æ 


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