Emergency Support for STEM Act
Bill: S.257 | Sponsor: Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne (D-NH)
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Emergency Support for STEM Act
This bill provides FY2021 appropriations for grants to states and, through them, subgrants to eligible public elementary and secondary schools and nonprofit programs to support hands-on learning opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, including through remote learning, after-school activities, and innovative learning opportunities (e.g., robotics competitions).
The amounts provided by the bill are designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (PAYGO) and the Senate PAYGO rule.

To establish a Governor's Emergency STEM Promotion Fund, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Emergency Support for STEM Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The COVID-19 pandemic has caused tremendous 
        repercussions within the kindergarten through grade 12 
        education system of the United States.
            (2) It is imperative to support hands-on learning 
        opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and 
        mathematics (referred to in this section as ``STEM'') education 
        through programs that--
                    (A) provide innovative experiences for students;
                    (B) have strong track records of success; and
                    (C) typically include nonprofit partnerships among 
                the schools, nonprofit organizations, and private 
                businesses.
            (3) Due to the severe economic damage caused by the COVID-
        19 pandemic to organizations offering STEM programs, these 
        programs now face significant funding challenges.
            (4) The long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will be 
        felt for years to come without public economic educational 
        support to help these types of STEM opportunities.
            (5) Lack of investment in these critical programs will lead 
        to limited innovative learning opportunities in the STEM 
        fields, causing a drastic loss of technical and professional 
        skills training for this generation of students.

SEC. 3. GOVERNOR'S EMERGENCY STEM PROMOTION FUND.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) ESEA terms.--The terms ``elementary school'', ``high 
        school'', ``secondary school'', and ``State'' have the meanings 
        given the terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (2) Eligible nonprofit program.--The term ``eligible 
        nonprofit program''--
                    (A) means a nonprofit program serving 
                prekindergarten, elementary school, or secondary school 
                students; and
                    (B) includes a program described in subparagraph 
                (A) that covers the continuum of education from 
                prekindergarten through high school and is available in 
                every State.
            (3) Eligible public school.--The term ``eligible public 
        school'' means a public elementary school or secondary school.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
            (5) STEM.--The term ``STEM'' means science, technology, 
        engineering, and mathematics.
    (b) Grants Authorized.--
            (1) In general.--From amounts made available under 
        subsection (e), the Secretary shall make Emergency STEM 
        Promotion grants to the Governor of each State with an approved 
        application.
            (2) Timing.--The Secretary shall issue a notice inviting 
        applications not later than 30 days after the date of enactment 
        of this Act and shall award grants by not later than 30 days 
        after the issuance of the notice.
            (3) Amount.--Each State with an approved application shall 
        receive a grant under paragraph (1) in an amount that bears the 
        same relation to the amounts made available under subsection 
        (e) as the number of children aged 5 through 17 in the State 
        bears to the number of such children in all States with 
        approved applications.
    (c) Use of Funds.--
            (1) In general.--A State receiving a grant under subsection 
        (b)--
                    (A) shall use not less than 90 percent of such 
                grant funds to provide subgrants to eligible public 
                schools or eligible nonprofit programs to support 
                hands-on learning opportunities in STEM education, 
                including via remote learning, after-school activities, 
                and innovative learning opportunities such as robotics 
                competitions; and
                    (B) may reserve--
                            (i) not more than one-half of 1 percent for 
                        administrative costs; and
                            (ii) the remainder of any funds not used in 
                        accordance with clause (i) or subparagraph (A) 
                        for emergency needs, as determined by the State 
                        educational agency.
            (2) Award basis.--In awarding subgrants under this 
        subsection, a State shall ensure that the majority of subgrant 
        funds provided by the State are to--
                    (A) eligible public schools that--
                            (i) are implementing comprehensive support 
                        and improvement activities and targeted support 
                        and improvement activities under section 
                        1111(d) of the Elementary and Secondary 
                        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(d)); or
                            (ii) serve high percentages of students who 
                        are eligible for a free or reduced price lunch 
                        under the Richard B. Russell National School 
                        Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) (which, in 
                        the case of a high school, may be calculated 
                        using comparable data from the schools that 
                        feed into the high school); or
                    (B) eligible nonprofit programs serving students 
                that attend eligible public schools described in 
                subparagraph (A).
            (3) Matching funds required.--
                    (A) In general.--Each eligible public school or 
                eligible nonprofit program receiving a subgrant under 
                this subsection shall provide, toward the cost of the 
                activities assisted under the subgrant, an amount equal 
                to 100 percent of the amount of the subgrant funds.
                    (B) Payment by local educational agency.--The 
                matching funds required under subparagraph (A) for an 
                eligible public school may be provided by the eligible 
                public school or by the local educational agency that 
                serves such school.
    (d) Reallocation.--A State shall return to the Secretary any funds 
received under this section that the State does not award within 2 
years of receiving such funds and the Secretary shall reallocate such 
funds to the remaining States in accordance with subsection (b).
    (e) Authorization and Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
        carry out this section, and there are appropriated, out of any 
        amounts in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, 
        $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2021.
            (2) Availability.--Amounts made available under this 
        subsection shall remain available until expended.
            (3) Emergency designation.--
                    (A) In general.--The amounts provided by this 
                section are designated as an emergency requirement 
                pursuant to section 4(g) of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go 
                Act of 2010 (2 U.S.C. 933(g)).
                    (B) Designation in senate.--In the Senate, this 
                section is designated as an emergency requirement 
                pursuant to section 4112(a) of H. Con. Res. 71 (115th 
                Congress), the concurrent resolution on the budget for 
                fiscal year 2018.
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