a private sector partner) to conduct research on online 
STEM education courses for rural communities. 
(b) RESEARCH AREAS.—The research areas eligible for 
funding under this subsection shall include— 
(1) evaluating the learning and achievement of 
rural students in grades Pre–K through 12 in STEM 
subjects; 
(2) understanding how computer-based and on-
line professional development courses and mentor ex-
periences can be integrated to meet the needs of edu-
cators of rural students in grades Pre–K through 12; 
(3) combining computer-based and online STEM 
education and training with apprenticeships, men-
toring, or other applied learning arrangements; 
(4) leveraging online programs to supplement 
STEM studies for rural students that need physical 
and academic accommodation; and 
(5) any other activity the Director determines 
will accomplish the goals of this subsection. 
(c) EVALUATIONS.—All proposals for grants under this 
section shall include an evaluation plan that includes the 
use of outcome oriented measures to assess the impact and 
efficacy of the grant. Each recipient of a grant under this 
section shall include results from these evaluative activities 
in annual and final projects. 
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(d) ACCOUNTABILITY AND DISSEMINATION.— 
(1) EVALUATION REQUIRED.—The Director shall 
evaluate the portfolio of grants awarded under this 
section. Such evaluation shall— 
(A) use a common set of benchmarks and 
tools to assess the results of research conducted 
under such grants and identify best practices; 
and 
(B) to the extent practicable, integrate find-
ings from activities carried out pursuant to re-
search conducted under this section, with respect 
to the pursuit of careers and degrees in STEM, 
with those activities carried our pursuant to 
other research on serving rural students and 
communities. 
(2) REPORT ON EVALUATIONS.—Not later than 
180 days after the completion of the evaluation under 
paragraph (1), the Director shall submit to Congress 
and make widely available to the public a report that 
includes— 
(A) the results of the evaluation; and 
(B) any recommendations for administra-
tive and legislative action that could optimize 
the effectiveness of the grants awarded under this 
section. 
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(e) COORDINATION.—In carrying out this section, the 
Director shall, for purposes of enhancing program effective-
ness and avoiding duplication of activities, consult, cooper-
ate, and coordinate with the programs and policies of other 
relevant Federal agencies. 
SEC. 5. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES EVALUATION. 
(a) STUDY.—Not later than 12 months after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Director shall enter into an 
agreement with the National Academy of Sciences under 
which the National Academy agrees to conduct an evalua-
tion and assessment that— 
(1) evaluates the quality and quantity of current 
Federal programming and research directed at exam-
ining STEM education for students in grades Pre–K 
through 12 and workforce development in rural areas; 
(2) assesses the impact of the scarcity of 
broadband connectivity in rural communities has on 
STEM and technical literacy for students in grades 
Pre–K through 12 in rural areas; 
(3) assesses the core research and data needed to 
understand the challenges rural areas are facing in 
providing quality STEM education and workforce de-
velopment; and 
(4) makes recommendations for action at the 
Federal, State, and local levels for improving STEM 
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education for students in grades Pre–K through 12 
and workforce development in rural areas. 
(b) REPORT TO DIRECTOR.—The agreement entered 
into under subsection (a) shall require the National Acad-
emy of Sciences, not later than 24 months after the date 
of enactment of this Act, to submit to the Director a report 
on the study conducted under such subsection, including the 
National Academy’s findings and recommendations. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are 
authorized to be appropriated to the Director to carry out 
this section $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2020. 
SEC. 6. GAO REVIEW. 
Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall 
conduct a study on the engagement of rural populations in 
Federal STEM programs and submit to Congress a report 
that includes— 
(1) an assessment of how Federal STEM edu-
cation programs are serving rural populations; 
(2) a description of initiatives carried out by 
Federal agencies that are targeted at supporting 
STEM education in rural areas; 
(3) an assessment of what is known about the 
impact and effectiveness of Federal investments in 
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STEM education programs that are targeted to rural 
areas; and 
(4) an assessment of challenges that state and 
Federal STEM education programs face in reaching 
rural population centers. 
SEC. 7. CAPACITY BUILDING THROUGH EPSCOR. 
Section 517(f)(2) of the America COMPETES Reau-
thorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 1862p–9(f)(2)) is 
amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) to increase the capacity of rural com-
munities to provide quality STEM education 
and STEM workforce development programming 
to students, and teachers; and’’. 
SEC. 8. NIST ENGAGEMENT WITH RURAL COMMUNITIES. 
(a) MEP OUTREACH.—Section 25 of the National In-
stitute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k) 
is amended— 
(1) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘commu-
nity colleges and area career and technical edu-
cation schools’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘sec-
ondary schools (as defined in section 8101 of the 
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this subsection as the ‘‘Secretary’’), shall carry out a 
program to award prizes competitively to stimulate 
research and development of creative technologies in 
order to deploy affordable and reliable broadband 
connectivity to underserved rural communities. 
(2) PLAN FOR DEPLOYMENT IN RURAL COMMU-
NITIES.—Each proposal submitted pursuant to para-
graph (1) shall include a plan for deployment of the 
technology that is the subject of such proposal in an 
underserved rural community. 
(3) PRIZE AMOUNT.—In carrying out the pro-
gram under paragraph (1), the Secretary may award 
not more than a total of $5,000,000 to one or more 
winners of the prize competition. 
(4) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after the 
date on which a prize is awarded under the prize 
competition, the Secretary shall submit to the relevant 
committees of Congress a report that describes the 
winning proposal of the prize competition. 
(5) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out the pro-
gram under subsection (a), the Secretary may consult 
with the heads of relevant departments and agencies 
of the Federal Government. 
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SEC. 9. NITR-D BROADBAND WORKING GROUP. 
Title I of the High-Performance Computing Act of 
1991 (15 U.S.C. 5511 et seq.) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 103. BROADBAND RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
WORKING GROUP. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall establish a 
broadband research and development working group to ad-
dress national research challenges and opportunities for im-
proving broadband access and adoption across the United 
States. 
‘‘(b) ACTIVITIES.—The working group shall identify 
and coordinate key research priorities for addressing 
broadband access and adoption, including— 
‘‘(1) promising research areas; 
‘‘(2) requirements for data collection and shar-
ing; 
‘‘(3) opportunities for better alignment and co-
ordination across Federal agencies and external stake-
holders; and 
‘‘(4) input on the development of new Federal 
policies and programs to enhance data collection and 
research. 
‘‘(c) COORDINATION.—The working group shall coordi-
nate, as appropriate, with the Rural Broadband Integra-
tion Working Group established under section 6214 of the 
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Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Public Law 115– 
334) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture 
of the Department of Agriculture. 
‘‘(d) REPORT.—The working group shall report to 
Congress on their activities as part of the annual report 
submitted under section 101(a)(2)(D). 
‘‘(e) SUNSET.—The authority to carry out this section 
shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date 
of enactment of the Rural STEM Education Act.’’. 
SEC. 10. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means the 
Director of the National Science Foundation estab-
lished under section 2 of the National Science Foun-
dation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1861). 
(2) FEDERAL LABORATORY.—The term ‘‘Federal 
laboratory’’ has the meaning given such term in sec-
tion 4 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation 
Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3703). 
(3) 
FOUNDATION.—The 
term 
‘‘Foundation’’ 
means the National Science Foundation established 
under section 2 of the National Science Foundation 
Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1861). 
(4) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the mean-
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ing given such term in section 101(a) of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 
(5) STEM.—The term ‘‘STEM’’ has the meaning 
given the term in section 2 of the America COM-
PETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 6621 
note). 
(6) STEM EDUCATION.—The term ‘‘STEM edu-
cation’’ has the meaning given the term in section 2 
of the STEM Education Act of 2015 (42 U.S.C. 6621 
note). 
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Union Calendar No. 319 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4979 
[Report No. 116–397] 
A BILL 
To direct the Director of the National Science 
Foundation to support STEM education and 
workforce development research focused on rural 
areas, and for other purposes. 
FEBRUARY 13, 2020 
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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