ing given such term in section 101 of the Higher Edu-
cation 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 educational 
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 affecting 
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individuals in the STEM workforce, including stu-
dents and trainees; and 
(2) to examine interventions to reduce the inci-
dence and negative consequences of such harassment. 
(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, pro-
cedures, trainings, and interventions, with respect to 
sexual harassment and gender harassment, conflict 
management, and ways to foster respectful and inclu-
sive 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-
proaches to policy implementation to prevent and ad-
dress sexual harassment and gender harassment; 
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(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 compila-
tion, management, and analysis of campus climate 
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 com-
posed of representatives of Federal statistical agencies— 
(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 harass-
ment 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. 
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 
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an agreement with the Academies to update the report enti-
tled ‘‘On Being a Scientist: A Guide to Responsible Conduct 
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 har-
assment; 
(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 account 
recommendations made in the report issued by the Acad-
emies in 2018 entitled ‘‘Sexual Harassment of Women: Cli-
mate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, En-
gineering, and Medicine’’ and other relevant studies and 
evidence. 
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(c) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the effec-
tive date of the contract under subsection (a), the Acad-
emies, as part of such agreement, shall submit to the Direc-
tor and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate the report 
referred to in such subsection, as updated pursuant to such 
subsection. 
SEC. 7. INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Office of Science 
and Technology Policy, acting through the National 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 har-
assment and gender harassment involving grant personnel. 
The working group shall be chaired by the Director of the 
Office of Science and Technology Policy (or the Director’s 
designee) and shall include a representative from each Fed-
eral science agency with annual extramural research ex-
penditures totaling over $1,000,000,000, a representative 
from the Department of Education, and a representative 
from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commis-
sion. 
(b) RESPONSIBILITIES
OF WORKING GROUP.—The 
interagency working group established under subsection (a) 
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shall coordinate Federal science agency efforts to implement 
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 Rep-
resentatives 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 har-
assment and gender harassment at Federal agencies 
that provide legal definitions to which institutions 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 
(B) submit a report to the committees re-
ferred to in paragraph (1) containing such 
guidelines; 
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(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 uniform pol-
icy guidelines; 
(4) not later than 1 year after the date on which 
the inventory under paragraph (1) is submitted, and 
every 5 years thereafter, the Director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy shall report to Con-
gress on the implementation by Federal science agen-
cies of the policy guidelines developed under para-
graph (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 re-
quire— 
(1) grantees to submit to the Federal science 
agency or agencies from which the grantees receive 
funding reports relating to— 
(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, stat-
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utes, 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 deter-
minations 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 pursu-
ant to paragraph (1), which may include the designa-
tion of a single agency to field reports so submitted. 
(e) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing policy guidelines 
under subsection (c)(2), the Director of the Office of Science 
and Technology Policy shall consider guidelines that require 
or incentivize— 
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(1) grantees to periodically assess their organiza-
tional climate, which may include the use of climate 
surveys, focus groups, or exit interviews; 
(2) grantees to publish on a publicly available 
internet website the results of assessments conducted 
pursuant to paragraph (1), disaggregated by gender 
and, if possible, race, ethnicity, disability status, and 
sexual orientation; 
(3) grantees to make public on an annual basis 
the number of reports of sexual harassment and gen-
der 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 contract 
that a code of conduct is in place for maintaining 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 in-
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dividuals 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 harass-
ment 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 agency. 
(g) FERPA.—The Director of the Office of Science and 
Technology Policy shall ensure that such guidelines and re-
quirements 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 Educational 
Rights and Privacy Act of 1974’’). 
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(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 harassment 
in institutions of higher education on the career advance-
ment 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-
emies consensus study report entitled ‘‘Sexual Harass-
ment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences 
in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’’; 
and 
(4) where to focus future efforts with respect to 
decreasing sexual harassment and gender harassment 
in such institutions. 
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SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Director 
to carry out this Act, $17,500,000. 
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Union Calendar No. 115 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 36 
[Report No. 116–153] 
A BILL 
To provide for research to better understand the 
causes and consequences of sexual harassment 
affecting individuals in the scientific, technical, 
engineering, and mathematics workforce and to 
examine policies to reduce the prevalence and 
negative impact of such harassment, and for 
other purposes. 
JULY 12, 2019 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
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