I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1020 
To define STEM education to include computer science, and to support 
existing STEM education programs at the National Science Foundation. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 20, 2015 
Mr. SMITH of Texas (for himself, Ms. ESTY, Mrs. COMSTOCK, Mr. LIPINSKI, 
Mr. MOOLENAAR, Mr. HULTGREN, Mr. BUCSHON, and Mr. COLLINS of 
New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Science, Space, and Technology 
A BILL 
To define STEM education to include computer science, and 
to support existing STEM education programs at the 
National Science Foundation. 
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 ‘‘STEM Education Act 
of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF STEM EDUCATION. 
For purposes of carrying out STEM education activi-
ties at the National Science Foundation, the Department 
of Energy, the National Aeronautics and Space Adminis-
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tration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis-
tration, the National Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology, and the Environmental Protection Agency, the 
term ‘‘STEM education’’ means education in the subjects 
of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, in-
cluding computer science. 
SEC. 3. INFORMAL STEM EDUCATION. 
(a) GRANTS.—The Director of the National Science 
Foundation, through the Directorate for Education and 
Human Resources, shall continue to award competitive, 
merit-reviewed grants to support— 
(1) research and development of innovative out- 
of-school STEM learning and emerging STEM 
learning environments in order to improve STEM 
learning outcomes and engagement in STEM; and 
(2) research that advances the field of informal 
STEM education. 
(b) USES OF FUNDS.—Activities supported by grants 
under this section may encompass a single STEM dis-
cipline, multiple STEM disciplines, or integrative STEM 
initiatives and shall include— 
(1) research and development that improves our 
understanding of learning and engagement in infor-
mal environments, including the role of informal en-
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vironments in broadening participation in STEM; 
and 
(2) design and testing of innovative STEM 
learning models, programs, and other resources for 
informal learning environments to improve STEM 
learning outcomes and increase engagement for K– 
12 students, K–12 teachers, and the general public, 
including design and testing of the scalability of 
models, programs, and other resources. 
SEC. 4. NOYCE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AMENDMENTS. 
(a) AMENDMENTS.—Section 10A of the National 
Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 
1862n–1a) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(2)(B), by inserting ‘‘or 
bachelor’s’’ after ‘‘master’s’’; 
(2) in subsection (c)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of para-
graph (2)(B); 
(B) in paragraph (3)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘for teachers with 
master’s degrees in their field’’ after 
‘‘Teaching Fellowships’’; and 
(ii) by striking the period at the end 
of subparagraph (B) and inserting ‘‘; 
and’’; and 
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(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(4) in the case of National Science Foundation 
Master Teaching Fellowships for teachers with bach-
elor’s degrees in their field and working toward a 
master’s degree— 
‘‘(A) offering academic courses leading to 
a master’s degree and leadership training to 
prepare individuals to become master teachers 
in elementary and secondary schools; and 
‘‘(B) offering programs both during and 
after matriculation in the program for which 
the fellowship is received to enable fellows to 
become 
highly 
effective 
mathematics 
and 
science teachers, including mentoring, training, 
induction, and professional development activi-
ties, to fulfill the service requirements of this 
section, including the requirements of sub-
section (e), and to exchange ideas with others 
in their fields.’’; 
(3) in subsection (e), by striking ‘‘subsection 
(g)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (h)’’; 
(4) by redesignating subsections (g) through (i) 
as subsections (h) through (j), respectively; and 
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(5) by inserting after subsection (f) the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(g) SUPPORT FOR MASTER TEACHING FELLOWS 
WHILE ENROLLED IN A MASTER’S DEGREE PROGRAM.— 
A National Science Foundation Master Teacher Fellow 
may receive a maximum of 1 year of fellowship support 
while enrolled in a master’s degree program as described 
in subsection (c)(4)(A), except that if such fellow is en-
rolled in a part-time program, such amount shall be pro-
rated according to the length of the program.’’. 
(b) DEFINITION.—Section 10(i)(5) of the National 
Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 
1862n–1(i)(5)) is amended by inserting ‘‘computer 
science,’’ after ‘‘means a science,’’. 
Æ 
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