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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Supporting STEM 
Learning Opportunities Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Developing a robust, talented, and home-
grown workforce, particularly in the fields of STEM, 
is critical to the success of the United States innova-
tion economy. 
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(2) The United States educational system is not 
producing a sufficient number of workers with the 
necessary STEM expertise to meet the needs of the 
United States industry in STEM fields. 
(3) Hands-on and experiential learning opportu-
nities outside of the classroom are critical for stu-
dent success in STEM subjects and careers, stimu-
lating students’ interest, increasing confidence, and 
creating motivation to pursue a related career. 
(4) Hands-on and experiential learning opportu-
nities can be particularly successful in inspiring in-
terest in students who traditionally have been under-
represented in STEM fields, including girls, students 
of color, and students from disadvantaged back-
grounds. 
(5) An expansion of hands-on and experiential 
learning programs across the United States would 
expand the STEM workforce pipeline, developing 
and training students for careers in STEM fields. 
SEC. 3. HANDS-ON LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES IN STEM 
EDUCATION. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ESEA TERMS.—The terms ‘‘elementary 
school’’, ‘‘high school’’, ‘‘secondary school’’, and 
‘‘State’’ have the meanings given the terms in sec-
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tion 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
(2) 
ELIGIBLE
NONPROFIT
PROGRAM.—The 
term ‘‘eligible nonprofit program’’— 
(A) means a nonprofit program serving 
prekindergarten, elementary school, or sec-
ondary school students; and 
(B) includes a program described in sub-
paragraph (A) that covers the continuum of 
education from prekindergarten through high 
school and is available in every State. 
(3) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 
the Director of the National Science Foundation. 
(4) STEM.—The term ‘‘STEM’’ means science, 
technology, engineering, and mathematics. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this section are 
to— 
(1) provide effective, compelling, and engaging 
means for teaching and reinforcing fundamental 
STEM concepts and inspiring the youth of the 
United States to pursue careers in STEM-related 
fields; 
(2) expand the STEM workforce pipeline by de-
veloping and training students for careers in United 
States STEM fields; and 
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(3) broaden participation in the STEM work-
force by underrepresented population groups. 
(c) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall, subject 
to the availability of appropriations for such pur-
poses, provide grants to eligible nonprofit programs 
for supporting hands-on learning opportunities in 
STEM education, including via after-school activities 
and innovative learning opportunities such as robot-
ics competitions and for the purposes of evaluating 
the impact of such programs on STEM learning and 
disseminating the results of such evaluations. 
(2) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under the 
program, the Director shall give priority to eligible 
nonprofit programs serving students that attend ele-
mentary schools or secondary schools (including high 
schools) that— 
(A) are implementing comprehensive sup-
port and improvement activities or targeted 
support and improvement activities under para-
graph (1) or (2) of section 1111(d) of the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 6311(d)); or 
(B) serve high percentages of students who 
are eligible for a free or reduced price lunch 
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under the Richard B. Russell National School 
Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) (which, in 
the case of a high school, may be calculated 
using comparable data from the schools that 
feed into the high school). 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026. 
Æ 
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