I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7031 
To provide for research to better understand the causes and consequences 
of sexual harassment affecting individuals in the scientific workforce 
and to examine policies to reduce the prevalence and negative impact 
of such harassment, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 5, 2018 
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas (for herself, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. 
PERLMUTTER, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. TAKANO, Ms. ROSEN, Mr. CRIST, Ms. 
HANABUSA, Mr. LAMB, Ms. BASS, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mr. CARSON of Indi-
ana, Mr. RICHMOND, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mrs. WATSON COLE-
MAN, Ms. FUDGE, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, 
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. CLAY, 
Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mr. VEASEY, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Mr. 
CLEAVER, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. MEEKS, Ms. SEWELL 
of Alabama, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Mrs. DEMINGS, and Ms. 
SPEIER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Science, Space, and Technology 
A BILL 
To provide for research to better understand the causes 
and consequences of sexual harassment affecting individ-
uals in the scientific workforce and to examine policies 
to reduce the prevalence and negative impact of such 
harassment, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:14 Oct 12, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7031.IH
H7031
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act of 2018’’. 
(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; 
(C) 58 percent of individuals in the aca-
demic workplace experience sexual harassment, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:14 Oct 12, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7031.IH
H7031
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
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 study led by Dr. Kath-
ryn Clancy at the University of Illinois, among as-
tronomers and planetary scientists, 18 percent of 
women who are members of racial or ethnic minority 
groups and 12 percent of White women skipped pro-
fessional events because they did not feel safe at-
tending. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:14 Oct 12, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7031.IH
H7031
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
(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 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:14 Oct 12, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7031.IH
H7031
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
with an annual extramural research expenditure of 
over $100,000,000. 
(4) GRANT PERSONNEL.—The term ‘‘grant per-
sonnel’’ means principal investigators, co-principal 
investigators, other personnel supported by a grant 
award under Federal law, and their trainees. 
(5) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 101 of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 
(6) SEXUAL HARASSMENT.—The term ‘‘sexual 
harassment’’ means conduct that encompasses— 
(A) verbal and nonverbal behaviors that 
convey hostility, objectification, exclusion, or 
second-class status about one’s gender or gen-
der identity; 
(B) unwelcome sexual advances; 
(C) unwanted physical contact that is sex-
ual in nature, including assault; 
(D) unwanted sexual attention, including 
sexual comments and propositions for sexual ac-
tivity; 
(E) conditioning professional or edu-
cational benefits on sexual activity; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:14 Oct 12, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7031.IH
H7031
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
(F) retaliation for rejecting unwanted sex-
ual attention. 
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 affecting individuals in the 
scientific 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 experi-
ences of individuals in underrepresented or vulner-
able groups, including racial and ethnic minority 
groups, disabled individuals, foreign nationals, 
sexual- and gender-minority individuals, and others; 
(2) development and assessment of policies, 
procedures, trainings, and interventions, with respect 
to sexual harassment, conflict management, the pre-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:14 Oct 12, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7031.IH
H7031
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
vention of incivility, 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, implement, and assess the impact 
of innovative, evidence-based strategies, policies, and 
approaches to policy implementation to prevent and 
address sexual harassment at such institutions; and 
(5) 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 
in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 
departments to gather national data on the preva-
lence, nature, and implications of sexual harassment 
in institutions of higher education; and 
(2) to include such questions as appropriate, 
with sufficient protections of the privacy of respond-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:14 Oct 12, 2018
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7031.IH
H7031
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS