(1) According to the Bureau of Labor Statis-
tics, in an article published in the May 2015 issue 
of Monthly Labor Review, there is ‘‘significant het-
erogeneity in the STEM labor market: the academic 
sector is generally oversupplied, while the govern-
ment sector and private industry have shortages in 
specific areas.’’ 
(2) Women of color, particularly Black women 
have made significant progress in graduating from 
college in the areas of study related to science, tech-
nology, engineering, and mathematics. 
(3) Despite these gains, members of this group 
continue to be underrepresented in the STEM fields 
of study and related occupations, and in areas rep-
resentation has remained flat or has declined. 
(4) Bipartisan enactment of the Inspiring the 
Next Space Pioneers, Innovators, Researchers, and 
Explorers (INSPIRE) Women Act and the Pro-
moting Women in Entrepreneurship Act served as 
an important first step to inspire and engage women 
and girls in certain programs administered by NASA 
and the NSF. 
(5) Research and other developments dem-
onstrate the need to build upon these 2 laws with in-
tentional programs that optimize outreach to and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:00 Oct 27, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7092.IH
H7092
SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with BILLS
engagement of minority women and girls in STEM- 
related disciplines relevant to the public and private 
sectors. 
(6) According to a Pew Research Center report, 
Women and Men in STEM Often at Odds Over 
Workplace Equality, released in January 2018, 
Black and Hispanic workers continue to be under-
represented in the STEM workforce. Blacks make 
up 11 percent of the U.S. workforce overall but rep-
resent 9 percent of STEM workers, while Hispanics 
comprise 16 percent of the U.S. workforce but only 
7 percent of all STEM workers. 
(7) A report published by the National Science 
Foundation, Women, Minorities, and Persons with 
Disabilities in Science and Engineering 2017 pro-
vides that the percentages are particularly low for 
Black and Hispanic women, who make up 7 percent 
and 8 percent of the population respectively, but 
hold only 2 percent of science and engineering occu-
pations. 
(8) The hacking in 2018 of an all-Black female 
high school team participating in a NASA competi-
tion revealed realities unique to minority women par-
ticipating in NASA programs and the groundswell of 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:00 Oct 27, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7092.IH
H7092
SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with BILLS
enthusiasm supporting the increased engagement of 
Black girls in NASA programs. 
(9) NASA and other science agencies have an 
opportunity to translate lessons learned from this in-
cident into programs that increase engagement of 
underrepresented women and girls in its programs. 
(10) Programs such as the Louis Stokes Alli-
ance for Minority Participation, and many other 
Federal programs, have successfully engaged mil-
lions of underrepresented and underserved students 
in STEM fields of study and related outreach and 
programs. These and other federally supported pro-
grams can be helpful in preparing a more robust 
pipeline of women of color in STEM professions. 
SEC. 3. REPORT ON NASA AND NSF EFFORTS TO SUPPORT 
WOMEN AND MINORITY INVOLVEMENT IN 
STEM FIELDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of NASA and 
the Administrator of the NSF shall each conduct a study 
that includes an analysis and description of ways to in-
crease the participation of minority women within existing 
programs related to STEM fields carried out by NASA 
and the NSF, respectively. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:00 Oct 27, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7092.IH
H7092
SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with BILLS
(b) CONTENTS.—In carrying out the study required 
under subsection (a), the Administrators shall consider the 
following: 
(1) Scholarships, internships, mentoring, tar-
geted high school competitions, fellowships, faculty 
assignments, and other support to encourage and 
engage minority women in STEM areas of study 
throughout high school, university, graduate edu-
cation and the acquisition of faculty positions. 
(2) Resources to ensure minority women par-
ticipate more broadly in the full range of programs 
sponsored by each agency, and as potential employ-
ees and high-potential leaders. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 6 months after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of NASA and 
the Administrator of the NSF shall submit to the Com-
mittee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and make pub-
licly available on an internet website, a report that con-
tains the results of the study required under subsection 
(a) and policy recommendations for Congress to consider 
to increase participation of minority women in STEM, in-
cluding proposals for new programs, ways to expand exist-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:00 Oct 27, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7092.IH
H7092
SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with BILLS
ing programs, and potential increases in funding of exist-
ing programs. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
(a) STEM.—The term ‘‘STEM’’ means the academic 
and professional disciplines of science, technology, engi-
neering, and mathematics. 
(b) NASA.—The term ‘‘NASA’’ means the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration. 
(c) NSF.—The term ‘‘NSF’’ means the National 
Science Foundation. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:00 Oct 27, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H7092.IH
H7092
SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with BILLS