I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6109 
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 by estab-
lishing a program to support the modernization, renovation, or repair 
of career and technical education facilities, to enable schools serving 
grades 6 through 12 that are located in rural areas or that serve 
Native American students to remodel or build new facilities to provide 
STEM classrooms and laboratories and support high-speed internet, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 5, 2020 
Mr. COX of California (for himself, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. RYAN, Mr. 
NADLER, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Ms. MENG, Ms. 
SCHRIER, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. TONKO, and Mr. CUELLAR) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
Labor 
A BILL 
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965 by establishing a program to support the mod-
ernization, renovation, or repair of career and technical 
education facilities, to enable schools serving grades 6 
through 12 that are located in rural areas or that serve 
Native American students to remodel or build new facili-
ties to provide STEM classrooms and laboratories and 
support high-speed internet, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Inspiring New STEM 
Professionals by Investing in Renovation of Education 
Spaces Act’’ or the ‘‘INSPIRES Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Technological advancement has increased 
the types of jobs available now and for the foresee-
able future. Over the next 10 years, employers will 
be looking to fill an estimated 2,600,000 openings 
for the top 10 occupations in the collective fields of 
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 
(referred to in this section as ‘‘STEM’’). STEM jobs 
pay well; STEM workers earn an average of $14,000 
per year more than non-STEM workers at every 
education level. However, projections suggest that 
the United States won’t have enough skilled workers 
to fill STEM jobs. 
(2) STEM skills and knowledge are now re-
quired in a wide range of occupations, including 
many that are not traditionally considered to be 
science or engineering-related, such as sustainable 
agriculture, management of natural resources, and 
health care. Because of the growing use of STEM 
skills across all job sectors, the distinction between 
a ‘‘rural’’ as compared to an ‘‘urban’’ job is blur-
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ring. For instance, renewable energy development 
and bio-based product manufacturing employ work-
ers in a variety of areas of the United States. 
Known as the ‘‘new collar’’ economy, the phe-
nomenal growth in job opportunities for those who 
are prepared will also support the growth of commu-
nities: places to raise families and invest in the fu-
ture. 
(3) While students at all grade levels can ben-
efit from STEM education, the evidence points to 
ensuring quality STEM education for middle school 
students during school and non-school hours. Good 
STEM experiences in middle school will lead to posi-
tive attitudes toward and expectations of STEM ex-
periences in high school. In the middle grades, stu-
dents begin to demonstrate formal logical operations 
(critical thinking). Further, middle school students 
have been shown to be highly susceptible to devel-
oping opinions about their competence and interest 
in STEM learning. Providing students with addi-
tional time in after school and summer STEM pro-
grams allows students opportunities to engage in 
hands-on learning that sparks interest in STEM 
fields and careers. Students who engage in well-de-
signed laboratory experiences develop problem-solv-
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