S. 153 

One Hundred Sixteenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE SECOND SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Friday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and twenty 

An Act 

To promote veteran involvement in STEM education, computer science, and scientific 

research, and for other purposes. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Supporting Veterans in STEM 

Careers Act’’. 

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

In this Act: 

(1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means the Director 

of the National Science Foundation. 

(2) FOUNDATION.—The term ‘‘Foundation’’ means the 

National Science Foundation. 

(3) STEM.—The term ‘‘STEM’’ has the meaning given the 

term in section 2 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization 

Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 6621 note). 

(4) VETERAN.—The term ‘‘veteran’’ has the meaning given 

the term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code. 

SEC. 3. SUPPORTING VETERANS IN STEM EDUCATION AND COMPUTER 

SCIENCE. 

(a) SUPPORTING VETERAN INVOLVEMENT IN SCIENTIFIC

RESEARCH AND STEM EDUCATION.—The Director shall, through 

the research and education activities of the Foundation, encourage 

veterans to study and pursue careers in STEM and computer 

science, in coordination with other Federal agencies that serve 

veterans. 

(b) VETERAN OUTREACH PLAN.—Not later than 180 days after 

the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit to 

the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House 

of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

Transportation of the Senate a plan for how the Foundation can 

enhance its outreach efforts to veterans. Such plan shall— 

(1) report on the Foundation’s existing outreach activities; 

(2) identify the best method for the Foundation to leverage 

existing authorities and programs to facilitate and support 

veterans in STEM careers and studies, including teaching programs; and 

(3) include options for how the Foundation could track 

veteran participation in research and education programs of 

the Foundation, and describe any barriers to collecting such 

information. 
S. 153—2 

(c) NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD INDICATORS REPORT.—The 

National Science Board shall provide in its annual report on indicators of the state of science and engineering in the United States 

any available and relevant data on veterans in science and 

engineering careers or education programs. 

(d) ROBERT NOYCE TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM UPDATE.— 

Section 10 of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act 

of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n–1) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (a)(5)— 

(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at 

the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

(C) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(C) higher education programs that serve or support 

veterans.’’; 

(2) in subsection (b)(2)(F)— 

(A) by striking ‘‘and students’’ and inserting ‘‘, students’’; and 

(B) by inserting ‘‘, and veterans’’ before the period 

at the end; 

(3) in subsection (c)(2), by inserting ‘‘and veterans’’ before 

the period at the end; and 

(4) in subsection (d)(2), by inserting ‘‘and veterans’’ before 

the period at the end. 

(e) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION TEACHING FELLOWSHIPS

AND MASTER TEACHING FELLOWSHIPS UPDATE.—Section 10A(d) of 

the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 

U.S.C. 1862n–1a(d)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (3)(F)— 

(A) by striking ‘‘and individuals’’ and inserting ‘‘, 

individuals’’; and 

(B) by inserting ‘‘, and veterans’’ before the period 

at the end; and 

(2) in paragraph (4)(B), by inserting ‘‘and veterans’’ before 

the period at the end. 

(f) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION COMPUTER AND NETWORK

SECURITY CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTS UPDATE.—Section 5(a) of 

the Cyber Security Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C. 

7404(a)) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘and students who are 

veterans’’ after ‘‘these fields’’; and 

(2) in paragraph (3)— 

(A) in subparagraph (I), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

(B) by redesignating subparagraph (J) as subparagraph 

(K); and 

(C) by inserting after subparagraph (I) the following: 

‘‘(J) creating opportunities for veterans to transition 

to careers in computer and network security; and’’. 

(g) GRADUATE TRAINEESHIPS IN COMPUTER AND NETWORK SECURITY RESEARCH UPDATE.—Section 5(c)(6)(C) of the Cyber Security 

Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C. 7404(c)(6)(C)) is amended 

by inserting ‘‘or veterans’’ after ‘‘disciplines’’. 

(h) VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES STEM EDUCATION INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP.— 
S. 153—3 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Office of Science 

and Technology Policy shall establish, or designate, an interagency working group to improve veteran and military spouse 

equity and representation in STEM fields. 

(2) DUTIES OF INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP.—An interagency working group established under paragraph (1) shall 

develop and facilitate the implementation by participating agencies of a strategic plan, which shall— 

(A) specify and prioritize short- and long-term objectives; 

(B) specify the common metrics that will be used by 

Federal agencies to assess progress toward achieving such 

objectives; 

(C) identify barriers veterans face in reentering the 

workforce, including a lack of formal STEM education, 

career guidance, and the process of transferring military 

credits and skills to college credits; 

(D) identify barriers military spouses face in establishing careers in STEM fields; 

(E) describe the approaches that each participating 

agency will take to address administratively the barriers 

described in subparagraphs (C) and (D); and 

(F) identify any barriers that require Federal or State 

legislative or regulatory changes in order to be addressed. 

(3) REPORT.—The Director of the Office of Science and 

Technology Policy shall— 

(A) not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 

of this Act, submit to Congress the strategic plan required 

under paragraph (2); and 

(B) include in the annual report required by section 

101(d) of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act 

of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 6621(d)) a description of any progress 

made in carrying out the activities described in paragraph 

(2) of this subsection. 

(4) SUNSET.—An interagency working group established 

under paragraph (1) shall terminate on the date that is 3 

years after the date that it is established. 

SEC. 4. COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES STUDY AND 

REPORT ON BARRIERS FACED BY STUDENT VETERANS PURSUING DEGREES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, 

OR MATH. 

(a) STUDY.—Not later than August 1, 2022, the Comptroller 

General of the United States shall complete a study on academic 

success rates of student veterans pursuing covered degrees and 

barriers faced by such students in pursuing such degrees. 

(b) ELEMENTS.—The study required by subsection (a) shall 

include the following: 

(1) Assessment of available information on the percentage 

or number of student veterans pursuing a covered degree with 

educational assistance furnished under chapter 33 of title 38, 

United States Code. 

(2) Assessment of available information on the percentage 

or number of such students who pursue a covered degree and 

do not obtain such degree in four or fewer academic years. 
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(3) Identification of the reasons that such students do not 

obtain such degree in four or fewer academic years and whether 

such reasons are barriers to obtaining such degrees. 

(4) Development of recommendations for legislative or 

administrative action to better align the educational assistance 

furnished under chapter 33 of title 38, United States Code, 

with the needs of such students and address the reasons identified under paragraph (3). 

(c) REPORT.—Not later than August 1, 2022, the Comptroller 

General shall submit to Congress a report on the findings of the 

Comptroller General with respect to the study completed under 

subsection (a), along with recommendations for such legislative 

or administrative action as the Comptroller General considers 

appropriate. 

(d) DEFINITION OF COVERED DEGREE.—In this section, the term 

‘‘covered degree’’ means a standard, undergraduate college degree 

in a field listed under section 3320(b)(4)(A)(i) of title 38, United 

States Code. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.