IIB 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2695 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
MAY 19, 2021 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation 
AN ACT 
To provide for research to better understand the causes 
and consequences of sexual harassment affecting individ-
uals in the scientific, technical, engineering, and mathe-
matics workforce and to examine policies to reduce the 
prevalence and negative impact of such harassment, and 
for other purposes. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings. 
Sec. 3. Definitions. 
Sec. 4. Research grants. 
Sec. 5. Data collection. 
Sec. 6. Responsible conduct guide. 
Sec. 7. Interagency working group. 
Sec. 8. National academies assessment. 
Sec. 9. Authorization of appropriations. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) According to the report issued by the Na-
tional Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Med-
icine in 2018 entitled ‘‘Sexual Harassment of 
Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Aca-
demic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’’— 
(A) sexual harassment is pervasive in insti-
tutions of higher education; 
(B) the most common type of sexual har-
assment is gender harassment, which includes 
verbal and nonverbal behaviors that convey in-
sulting, hostile, and degrading attitudes about 
members of one gender; 
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(C) 58 percent of individuals in the aca-
demic workplace experience sexual harassment, 
the second highest rate when compared to the 
military, the private sector, and Federal, State, 
and local government; 
(D) women who are members of racial or 
ethnic minority groups are more likely to expe-
rience sexual harassment and to feel unsafe at 
work than White women, White men, or men 
who are members of such groups; 
(E) the training for each individual who 
has a doctor of philosophy in the science, tech-
nology, engineering, and mathematics fields is 
estimated to cost approximately $500,000; and 
(F) attrition of an individual so trained re-
sults in a loss of talent and money. 
(2) Sexual harassment undermines career ad-
vancement for women. 
(3) According to a 2017 University of Illinois 
study, among astronomers and planetary scientists, 
18 percent of women who are members of racial or 
ethnic minority groups and 12 percent of White 
women skipped professional events because they did 
not feel safe attending. 
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(4) Many women report leaving employment at 
institutions of higher education due to sexual har-
assment. 
(5) Research shows the majority of individuals 
do not formally report experiences of sexual harass-
ment due to a justified fear of retaliation or other 
negative professional or personal consequences. 
(6) Reporting procedures with respect to such 
harassment are inconsistent among Federal science 
agencies and have varying degrees of accessibility. 
(7) There is not adequate communication 
among Federal science agencies and between such 
agencies and grantees regarding reports of sexual 
harassment, which has resulted in harassers receiv-
ing Federal funding after moving to a different in-
stitution. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) 
ACADEMIES.—The 
term 
‘‘Academies’’ 
means the National Academies of Sciences, Engi-
neering, and Medicine. 
(2) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 
the Director of the National Science Foundation. 
(3) FEDERAL
SCIENCE
AGENCY.—The term 
‘‘Federal science agency’’ means any Federal agency 
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with an annual extramural research expenditure of 
over $100,000,000. 
(4) FINDING OR DETERMINATION.—The term 
‘‘finding or determination’’ means the final disposi-
tion of a matter involving a violation of organiza-
tional policies and processes, to include the exhaus-
tion of permissible appeals, or a conviction of a sex-
ual offense in a criminal court of law. 
(5) GENDER HARASSMENT.—The term ‘‘gender 
harassment’’ means verbal and nonverbal behaviors 
that convey hostility, objectification, exclusion, or 
second-class status about one’s gender, gender iden-
tity, gender presentation, sexual orientation, or preg-
nancy status. 
(6) GRANTEE.—The term ‘‘grantee’’ means the 
legal entity to which a grant is awarded and that is 
accountable to the Federal Government for the use 
of the funds provided. 
(7) GRANT PERSONNEL.—The term ‘‘grant per-
sonnel’’ means principal investigators, co-principal 
investigators, postdoctoral researchers and other em-
ployees supported by a grant award, cooperative 
agreement, or contract under Federal law. 
(8) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
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meaning given such term in section 101 of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 
(9) SEXUAL HARASSMENT.—The term ‘‘sexual 
harassment’’ means conduct that encompasses— 
(A) unwelcome sexual advances; 
(B) unwanted physical contact that is sex-
ual in nature, including assault; 
(C) unwanted sexual attention, including 
sexual comments and propositions for sexual ac-
tivity; 
(D) conditioning professional or edu-
cational benefits on sexual activity; and 
(E) retaliation for rejecting unwanted sex-
ual attention. 
(10) 
STEM.—The 
term 
‘‘STEM’’ 
means 
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, 
including computer science. 
SEC. 4. RESEARCH GRANTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall establish a pro-
gram to award grants, on a competitive basis, to institu-
tions of higher education or nonprofit organizations (or 
consortia of such institutions or organizations)— 
(1) to expand research efforts to better under-
stand the factors contributing to, and consequences 
of, sexual harassment and gender harassment affect-
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ing individuals in the STEM workforce, including 
students and trainees; and 
(2) to examine interventions to reduce the inci-
dence and negative consequences of such harass-
ment. 
(b) USE OF FUNDS.—Activities funded by a grant 
under this section may include— 
(1) research on the sexual harassment and gen-
der harassment experiences of individuals in under-
represented or vulnerable groups, including racial 
and ethnic minority groups, disabled individuals, for-
eign nationals, sexual- and gender-minority individ-
uals, and others; 
(2) development and assessment of policies, 
procedures, trainings, and interventions, with respect 
to sexual harassment and gender harassment, con-
flict management, and ways to foster respectful and 
inclusive climates; 
(3) research on approaches for remediating the 
negative impacts and outcomes of such harassment 
on individuals experiencing such harassment; 
(4) support for institutions of higher education 
to develop, adapt, and assess the impact of innova-
tive, evidence-based strategies, policies, and ap-
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proaches to policy implementation to prevent and 
address sexual harassment and gender harassment; 
(5) research on alternatives to the hierarchical 
and dependent relationships, including but not lim-
ited to the mentor-mentee relationship, in academia 
that have been shown to create higher levels of risk 
for sexual harassment and gender harassment; and 
(6) establishing a center for the ongoing com-
pilation, management, and analysis of campus cli-
mate survey data. 
SEC. 5. DATA COLLECTION. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Director shall convene a working group 
composed of representatives of Federal statistical agen-
cies— 
(1) to develop questions on sexual harassment 
and gender harassment in STEM departments to 
gather national data on the prevalence, nature, and 
implications of sexual harassment and gender har-
assment in institutions of higher education; and 
(2) to include such questions as appropriate, 
with sufficient protections of the privacy of respond-
ents, in relevant surveys conducted by the National 
Center for Science and Engineering Statistics and 
other relevant entities. 
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SEC. 6. RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT GUIDE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall enter into 
an agreement with the Academies to update the report en-
titled ‘‘On Being a Scientist: A Guide to Responsible Con-
duct in Research’’ issued by the Academies. The report, 
as so updated, shall include— 
(1) updated professional standards of conduct 
in research; 
(2) standards of treatment individuals can ex-
pect to receive under such updated standards of con-
duct; 
(3) evidence-based practices for fostering a cli-
mate intolerant of sexual harassment and gender 
harassment; 
(4) methods, including bystander intervention, 
for identifying and addressing incidents of sexual 
harassment and gender harassment; and 
(5) professional standards for mentorship and 
teaching with an emphasis on preventing sexual har-
assment and gender harassment. 
(b) RECOMMENDATIONS.—In updating the report 
under subsection (a), the Academies shall take into ac-
count recommendations made in the report issued by the 
Academies in 2018 entitled ‘‘Sexual Harassment of 
Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic 
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Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’’ and other relevant 
studies and evidence. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the ef-
fective date of the contract under subsection (a), the Acad-
emies, as part of such agreement, shall submit to the Di-
rector and the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech-
nology of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate 
the report referred to in such subsection, as updated pur-
suant to such subsection. 
SEC. 7. INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy, acting through the Na-
tional Science and Technology Council, shall establish an 
interagency working group for the purpose of coordinating 
Federal science agency efforts to reduce the prevalence of 
sexual harassment and gender harassment involving grant 
personnel. The working group shall be chaired by the Di-
rector of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (or 
the Director’s designee) and shall include a representative 
from each Federal science agency with annual extramural 
research expenditures totaling over $1,000,000,000, a rep-
resentative from the Department of Education, and a rep-
resentative from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity 
Commission. 
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(b) RESPONSIBILITIES OF WORKING GROUP.—The 
interagency working group established under subsection 
(a) shall coordinate Federal science agency efforts to im-
plement the policy guidelines developed under subsection 
(c)(2). 
(c) RESPONSIBILITIES OF OSTP.—The Director of 
the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall— 
(1) not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, submit to the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate an inven-
tory of policies, procedures, and resources dedicated 
to preventing and responding to reports of sexual 
harassment and gender harassment at Federal agen-
cies that provide legal definitions to which institu-
tions of higher education must comply; and 
(2) not later than 6 months after the date on 
which the inventory is submitted under paragraph 
(1)— 
(A) in consultation with outside stake-
holders and Federal science agencies, develop a 
uniform set of policy guidelines for Federal 
science agencies; and 
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(B) submit a report to the committees re-
ferred to in paragraph (1) containing such 
guidelines; 
(3) encourage and monitor efforts of Federal 
science agencies to develop or maintain and imple-
ment policies based on the guidelines developed 
under paragraph (2), including the extent to which 
Federal science agency policies depart from the uni-
form policy guidelines; 
(4) not later than 1 year after the date on 
which the inventory under paragraph (1) is sub-
mitted, and every 5 years thereafter, the Director of 
the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall re-
port to Congress on the implementation by Federal 
science agencies of the policy guidelines developed 
under paragraph (2); and 
(5) update such policy guidelines as needed. 
(d) REQUIREMENTS.—In developing policy guidelines 
under subsection (c)(2), the Director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy shall include guidelines 
that require— 
(1) grantees to submit to the Federal science 
agency or agencies from which the grantees receive 
funding reports relating to— 
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(A) administrative action, related to an al-
legation against grant personnel of any sexual 
harassment or gender harassment, as set forth 
in organizational policies or codes of conduct, 
statutes, regulations, or executive orders, that 
affects the ability of grant personnel or their 
trainees to carry out the activities of the grant; 
and 
(B) findings or determinations against 
grant personnel of sexual harassment or gender 
harassment, as set forth in organizational poli-
cies or codes of conduct, statutes, regulations, 
or executive orders, including any findings or 
determinations related to reports submitted 
under subparagraph (A) and any disciplinary 
action that was taken; 
(2) the sharing, updating, and archiving of re-
ports of sexual harassment and gender harassment 
from grantees submitted under paragraph (1)(B) 
with relevant Federal science agencies on a quarterly 
basis; and 
(3) to the extent practicable, ensure consistency 
among Federal agencies with regards to the policies 
and procedures for receiving reports submitted pur-
suant to paragraph (1), which may include the des-
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ignation of a single agency to field reports so sub-
mitted. 
(e) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing policy guide-
lines under subsection (c)(2), the Director of the Office 
of Science and Technology Policy shall consider guidelines 
that require or incentivize— 
(1) grantees to periodically assess their organi-
zational climate, which may include the use of cli-
mate surveys, focus groups, or exit interviews; 
(2) grantees to publish on a publicly available 
internet website the results of assessments con-
ducted pursuant to paragraph (1), disaggregated by 
gender and, if possible, race, ethnicity, disability sta-
tus, and sexual orientation; 
(3) grantees to make public on an annual basis 
the number of reports of sexual harassment and 
gender harassment at each such institution; 
(4) grantees to regularly assess and improve 
policies, procedures, and interventions to reduce the 
prevalence of sexual harassment and gender harass-
ment; 
(5) each grantee to demonstrate in its proposal 
for a grant award, cooperative agreement, or con-
tract that a code of conduct is in place for maintain-
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ing a healthy and welcoming workplace for grant 
personnel and their trainees; 
(6) the diffusion of the hierarchical and depend-
ent relationships between grant personnel and their 
trainees; 
(7) each grantee and Federal science agency to 
have in place mechanisms for the re-integration of 
individuals who have experienced sexual harassment 
and gender harassment; and 
(8) grantees to work to create a climate intoler-
ant of sexual harassment and gender harassment. 
(f) FEDERAL SCIENCE AGENCY IMPLEMENTATION.— 
Each Federal science agency shall— 
(1) develop or maintain and implement policies 
with respect to sexual harassment and gender har-
assment that are consistent with policy guidelines 
under subsection (c)(2) and that protect the privacy 
of all parties involved in any report and investigation 
of sexual harassment and gender harassment, except 
to the extent necessary to carry out an investigation; 
and 
(2) broadly disseminate such policies to current 
and potential recipients of research grants, coopera-
tive agreements, or contracts awarded by such agen-
cy. 
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(g) FERPA.—The Director of the Office of Science 
and Technology Policy shall ensure that such guidelines 
and requirements are consistent with the requirements of 
section 444 of the General Education Provisions Act (20 
U.S.C. 1232g) (commonly referred to as the ‘‘Family Edu-
cational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974’’). 
(h) SUNSET.—The interagency working group estab-
lished under subsection (a) shall terminate on the date 
that is 7 years after the date of the enactment of this 
Act. 
SEC. 8. NATIONAL ACADEMIES ASSESSMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall enter into 
an agreement with the Academies to undertake a study 
of the influence of sexual harassment and gender harass-
ment in institutions of higher education on the career ad-
vancement of individuals in the STEM workforce. The 
study shall assess— 
(1) the state of research on sexual harassment 
and gender harassment in such workforce; 
(2) whether research demonstrates a change in 
the prevalence of sexual harassment and gender har-
assment in such workforce; 
(3) the progress made with respect to imple-
menting recommendations promulgated in the Acad-
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emies consensus study report entitled ‘‘Sexual Har-
assment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Con-
sequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and 
Medicine’’; and 
(4) where to focus future efforts with respect to 
decreasing sexual harassment and gender harass-
ment in such institutions. 
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Direc-
tor to carry out this Act, $17,500,000. 
Passed the House of Representatives May 18, 2021. 
Attest: 
CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 
Clerk. 
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