IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 169 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives 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 

MARCH 4, 2019 

Ms. LEE of California (for herself, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. RICHMOND, Mr. CASTRO of 

Texas, and Ms. BASS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives 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 communities of color (African Americans, Latinos, 

Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific IslandVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:06 Mar 05, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR169.IH HR169

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•HRES 169 IH 

ers) 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 Black and Hispanic workers in the science and engineering workforce continue to be underrepresented, Black 

employees represent 11 percent of the United States 

workforce but only 9 percent of the science and engineering workforce, and Hispanic employees represent 16 percent of the United States workforce but only 7 percent 

of the science and engineering workforce; 

Whereas the share of women working in science and engineering jobs has held steady around 50 percent since 

1990, but the share of women in specific fields has varied 

from 47 percent in life sciences to only 25 percent in 

computer science; 

Whereas women of color represent less than 10 percent of all 

computer science professionals (African American: 5.7 

percent; Hispanic: 6.4 percent; American Indian or Alaska Native: 0.1 percent; and Asian: 22.9 percent); 

Whereas 50 to 70 percent of employees in tech companies 

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

of qualified African Americans and Latinos currently exists; 

Whereas a pipeline of qualified technical candidates is critical 

as the tech industry improves its recruiting, hiring, and 

retaining of candidates and employees of color; 

Whereas underrepresented minority students overall face an 

opportunity gap in STEAM education; 


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•HRES 169 IH 

Whereas women of color particularly face an achievement gap 

in science and engineering education; 

Whereas, in 2015, women were conferred nearly a third of all 

science and engineering degrees; 

Whereas, in 2015, women of color received only 13 percent 

of all science and engineering degrees (Black: 3.2 percent; Hispanic: 3.9 percent; Native American or Alaskan 

Native: 0.2 percent; Asian or Pacific Islander: 4.5 percent; and multi-racial: 1.2 percent); 

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

Whereas only 18 of all bachelor’s degrees conferred in computer science went to women in 2015; 

Whereas, in 2015, women of color received only 9 percent of 

degrees conferred in computer science (Black: 3 percent; 

Hispanic: 2 percent; Native American or Alaska Native: 

0.8 percent; and Asian or Pacific Islander: 3 percent); 

Whereas the opportunity and achievement gap between boys 

and girls starts early; 

Whereas, in 2017, 22 percent of high schools offered the Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science course, and 

only 35 percent of high schools teach computer science; 

Whereas, in 2018, 28 percent of AP Computer Science test 

takers were girls, and 21 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, That the House of Representatives supports 

2 efforts to— 


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•HRES 169 IH 

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 Native American, and 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, non-Tribal 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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•HRES 169 IH 

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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