Title: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives 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:
This resolution supports efforts to increase diversity and inclusion in the technology sector and ensure all students have access to science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics education.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 169 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 169

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives 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

                             March 4, 2019

 Ms. Lee of California (for herself, Mr. Butterfield, Ms. Judy Chu of 
   California, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Richmond, Mr. Castro of 
  Texas, and Ms. Bass) submitted the following resolution; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives 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 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 Black and Hispanic workers in the science and engineering workforce 
        continue to be underrepresented, Black employees represent 11 percent of 
        the United States workforce but only 9 percent of the science and 
        engineering workforce, and Hispanic employees represent 16 percent of 
        the United States workforce but only 7 percent of the science and 
        engineering workforce;
Whereas the share of women working in science and engineering jobs has held 
        steady around 50 percent since 1990, but the share of women in specific 
        fields has varied from 47 percent in life sciences to only 25 percent in 
        computer science;
Whereas women of color represent less than 10 percent of all computer science 
        professionals (African American: 5.7 percent; Hispanic: 6.4 percent; 
        American Indian or Alaska Native: 0.1 percent; and Asian: 22.9 percent);
Whereas 50 to 70 percent of employees in tech companies work in non-tech 
        positions, for which an existing pipeline of qualified African Americans 
        and Latinos currently exists;
Whereas a pipeline of qualified technical candidates is critical as the tech 
        industry improves its recruiting, hiring, and retaining of 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 2015, women were conferred nearly a third of all science and 
        engineering degrees;
Whereas, in 2015, women of color received only 13 percent of all science and 
        engineering degrees (Black: 3.2 percent; Hispanic: 3.9 percent; Native 
        American or Alaskan Native: 0.2 percent; Asian or Pacific Islander: 4.5 
        percent; and multi-racial: 1.2 percent);
Whereas women overall face a large opportunity gap in computer science;
Whereas only 18 of all bachelor's degrees conferred in computer science went to 
        women in 2015;
Whereas, in 2015, women of color received only 9 percent of degrees conferred in 
        computer science (Black: 3 percent; Hispanic: 2 percent; Native American 
        or Alaska Native: 0.8 percent; and Asian or Pacific Islander: 3 
        percent);
Whereas the opportunity and achievement gap between boys and girls starts early;
Whereas, in 2017, 22 percent of high schools offered the Advanced Placement (AP) 
        Computer Science course, and only 35 percent of high schools teach 
        computer science;
Whereas, in 2018, 28 percent of AP Computer Science test takers were girls, and 
        21 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, That the House of Representatives 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, Native American, and Pacific 
        Islander-serving institutions, American Indian Tribally 
        controlled colleges and universities, Alaska Native and Native 
        Hawaiian-serving institutions, predominantly Black 
        institutions, Native American-serving, non-Tribal 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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