I 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6521 

To provide for hands-on learning opportunities in STEM education. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 28, 2022 

Mrs. HAYES (for herself and Mr. MCKINLEY) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 

A BILL 

To provide for hands-on learning opportunities in STEM 

education. 

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 ‘‘Supporting STEM 

5 Learning Opportunities Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) Developing a robust, talented, and home9 grown workforce, particularly in the fields of STEM, 

10 is critical to the success of the United States innova11 tion economy. 


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1 (2) The United States educational system is not 

2 producing a sufficient number of workers with the 

3 necessary STEM expertise to meet the needs of the 

4 United States industry in STEM fields. 

5 (3) Hands-on and experiential learning opportu6 nities outside of the classroom are critical for stu7 dent success in STEM subjects and careers, stimu8 lating students’ interest, increasing confidence, and 

9 creating motivation to pursue a related career. 

10 (4) Hands-on and experiential learning opportu11 nities can be particularly successful in inspiring in12 terest in students who traditionally have been under13 represented in STEM fields, including girls, students 

14 of color, and students from disadvantaged back15 grounds. 

16 (5) An expansion of hands-on and experiential 

17 learning programs across the United States would 

18 expand the STEM workforce pipeline, developing 

19 and training students for careers in STEM fields. 

20 SEC. 3. HANDS-ON LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES IN STEM 

21 EDUCATION. 

22 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

23 (1) ESEA TERMS.—The terms ‘‘elementary 

24 school’’, ‘‘high school’’, ‘‘secondary school’’, and 

25 ‘‘State’’ have the meanings given the terms in secVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:46 Jan 29, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6521.IH H6521

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1 tion 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu2 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 

3 (2) ELIGIBLE NONPROFIT PROGRAM.—The 

4 term ‘‘eligible nonprofit program’’— 

5 (A) means a nonprofit program serving 

6 prekindergarten, elementary school, or sec7 ondary school students; and 

8 (B) includes a program described in sub9 paragraph (A) that covers the continuum of 

10 education from prekindergarten through high 

11 school and is available in every State. 

12 (3) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 

13 the Director of the National Science Foundation. 

14 (4) STEM.—The term ‘‘STEM’’ means science, 

15 technology, engineering, and mathematics. 

16 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this section are 

17 to— 

18 (1) provide effective, compelling, and engaging 

19 means for teaching and reinforcing fundamental 

20 STEM concepts and inspiring the youth of the 

21 United States to pursue careers in STEM-related 

22 fields; 

23 (2) expand the STEM workforce pipeline by de24 veloping and training students for careers in United 

25 States STEM fields; and 


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1 (3) broaden participation in the STEM work2 force by underrepresented population groups. 

3 (c) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall, subject 

5 to the availability of appropriations for such pur6 poses, provide grants to eligible nonprofit programs 

7 for supporting hands-on learning opportunities in 

8 STEM education, including via after-school activities 

9 and innovative learning opportunities such as robot10 ics competitions and for the purposes of evaluating 

11 the impact of such programs on STEM learning and 

12 disseminating the results of such evaluations. 

13 (2) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under the 

14 program, the Director shall give priority to eligible 

15 nonprofit programs serving students that attend ele16 mentary schools or secondary schools (including high 

17 schools) that— 

18 (A) are implementing comprehensive sup19 port and improvement activities or targeted 

20 support and improvement activities under para21 graph (1) or (2) of section 1111(d) of the Ele22 mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 

23 (20 U.S.C. 6311(d)); or 

24 (B) serve high percentages of students who 

25 are eligible for a free or reduced price lunch 


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1 under the Richard B. Russell National School 

2 Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) (which, in 

3 the case of a high school, may be calculated 

4 using comparable data from the schools that 

5 feed into the high school). 

6 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

7 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

8 $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026. 

Æ 


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