Title: Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the need for increased diversity and inclusion in the tech sector, and increased access to opportunity in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education.
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Declares that Congress supports efforts to:

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 29 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 29

 Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the need for increased 
  diversity and inclusion in the tech sector, and increased access to 
opportunity in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics 
                           (STEAM) education.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 16, 2017

  Ms. Lee (for herself, Ms. Judy Chu of California, Mr. Richmond, Ms. 
Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Khanna, Mr. 
 Grijalva, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, and 
 Ms. Kelly of Illinois) submitted the following concurrent resolution; 
   which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the need for increased 
  diversity and inclusion in the tech sector, and increased access to 
opportunity in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics 
                           (STEAM) education.

Whereas there will be 1,400,000 new tech jobs by 2020, however, 70 percent of 
        those jobs will be unfulfilled at the rate United States universities 
        are currently producing qualified graduates;
Whereas in 2013, the United States slipped to 10th place among Organization for 
        Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations in overall research 
        and development as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP);
Whereas communities of color (African-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, 
        Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders) are woefully underrepresented in 
        corporate leadership roles, including the technology sector;
Whereas African-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders are 
        disproportionately underrepresented in the technology sector;
Whereas African-Americans and Latinos make up 27 percent of the United States 
        workforce, but make up only 13.8 percent of the science and engineering 
        workforce, and only 11 percent of computer science professionals;
Whereas women make up 57.7 percent of the United States workforce, but make up 
        only 46.0 percent of the science and engineering workforce, and only 24 
        percent of computer science professionals;
Whereas women of color represent less than 10 percent of all computer science 
        professionals (African-American: 2.6 percent; Hispanic: 1.3 percent; 
        American Indian or Alaska Native: less than 0.02 percent; and Asian: 6 
        percent);
Whereas 50 to 70 percent of employees in tech companies work in non-tech 
        positions, for which an existing pipeline of qualified African-American 
        and Latinos currently exists;
Whereas a pipeline of qualified technical candidates is critical as the tech 
        industry improves its recruiting, hiring, and retaining candidates and 
        employees of color;
Whereas underrepresented minority students overall face an opportunity gap in 
        STEAM education;
Whereas women of color particularly face an achievement gap in science and 
        engineering education;
Whereas in 2012, women received 48.8 percent of all bachelor's degrees in 
        science and engineering majors;
Whereas in 2012, women of color received only 15.7 percent of all bachelor's 
        degrees in science and engineering majors (African-American: 5.3 
        percent; Hispanic: 5.5 percent; American Indian or Alaska Native: 0.3 
        percent, and Asian or Pacific Islander: 4.6 percent);
Whereas women overall face a large opportunity gap in computer science;
Whereas in 2012, women received only 18 percent of all bachelor's degrees in 
        computer science;
Whereas in 2012, women of color received only 6.6 percent of all bachelor's 
        degrees in computer science (African-American: 3.0 percent; Hispanic: 
        1.7 percent; American Indian or Alaska Native: 0.1 percent, and Asian or 
        Pacific Islander: 1.8 percent);
Whereas the opportunity and achievement gap between boys and girls starts early;
Whereas in 2015, less than 15 percent of high schools offered the Advanced 
        Placement (AP) Computer Science course;
Whereas in 2015, only 22 percent of AP Computer Science test takers were girls, 
        and 13 percent were African-American or Latino; and
Whereas there is a dearth of disaggregated data to show academic attainment 
        across different Asian American and Pacific Islander communities: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress supports efforts to--
            (1) increase diversity and inclusion in the technology 
        sector, including robust plans to ensure recruitment, training, 
        and retention of underrepresented minorities at all levels, 
        from the boardroom to the senior executive level, to rank and 
        file employees, as well as vendors;
            (2) eliminate barriers faced by people of color, and other 
        underrepresented groups when breaking into the technology 
        sector;
            (3) ensure all students have access to science, technology, 
        engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education for a 21st 
        century economy, including computer science education in 
        particular;
            (4) strengthen investments in, and collaborations with 
        educational institutions including community colleges, 
        Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving 
        institutions, Asian American and Native American Pacific 
        Islander-serving institutions, American Indian Tribally 
        controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native 
        Hawaiian-serving institutions, predominantly Black 
        institutions, Native American-serving, Nontribal institutions, 
        and other minority-serving institutions to sustain a pipeline 
        of diverse STEAM graduates ready to enter the technology 
        sector; and
            (5) improve data collection, disaggregation, and 
        dissemination of information for greater understanding and 
        transparency of diversity in STEAM education and across the 
        workforce.
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