Title: SERVICE Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
STEM Education and Recruitment by Valuing Increased Community Engagement Act of 2020 or the SERVICE Act
This bill directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to promote interest in careers in STEM disciplines, including to maximize strategic partnerships between institutions of higher education and private sector organizations to build and strengthen communities involved in such disciplines.
The term STEM disciplines means disciplines relating to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, including disciplines that are critical to the national security functions of DOD and that are needed in the DOD workforce.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7156 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7156

   To amend title 10, United States Code, to establish a program to 
   enhance the participation of Department of Defense contractors in 
     science, technology, engineering, and mathematics activities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 11, 2020

  Mr. Brown of Maryland (for himself, Ms. Escobar, and Mrs. Hartzler) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 10, United States Code, to establish a program to 
   enhance the participation of Department of Defense contractors in 
     science, technology, engineering, and mathematics activities.

    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 ``STEM Education and Recruitment by 
Valuing Increased Community Engagement Act of 2020'' or the ``SERVICE 
Act''.

SEC. 2. ENHANCED PARTICIPATION OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE CONTRACTORS IN 
              SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS 
              ACTIVITIES.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) Program required.--Chapter 111 of title 10, United 
        States Code, is amended by inserting after section 2192b the 
        following new section:
``Sec. 2192c. Program to enhance contractor participation in science, 
              technology, engineering, and mathematics activities
    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense shall carry out a 
program under which the Secretary shall seek to enter into partnerships 
with Department of Defense contractors to promote interest in careers 
in STEM disciplines.
    ``(b) Objectives.--The objectives of the program under subsection 
(a) are--
            ``(1) to maximize strategic partnerships between 
        institutions of higher education and private sector 
        organizations to build and strengthen communities involved in 
        STEM disciplines;
            ``(2) to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion by 
        providing access to career paths in STEM in historically 
        underserved and underrepresented communities; and
            ``(3) to encourage employers in STEM disciplines to 
        establish work-based learning experiences such as internships 
        and apprenticeships.
    ``(c) Activities.--As part of the program under subsection (a), the 
Secretary of Defense shall seek to encourage and provide support to 
Department of Defense contractors to enable such contractors to carry 
out activities to promote interest in careers in STEM disciplines. Such 
activities may include--
            ``(1) aiding in the development of educational programs and 
        curriculum in STEM disciplines for students of elementary 
        schools and secondary schools;
            ``(2) establishing volunteer programs in elementary schools 
        and secondary schools receiving assistance under part A of 
        title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
        (20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.) to enhance education in STEM 
        disciplines.
            ``(3) enhancing education in STEM disciplines at 
        institutions of higher education by--
                    ``(A) making personnel available to advise and 
                assist faculty at such institutions in the performance 
                of research and instruction in STEM disciplines that 
                are determined to be critical to the functions of the 
                Department of Defense;
                    ``(B) awarding scholarships and fellowships to 
                students pursuing courses of study in STEM disciplines; 
                or
                    ``(C) establishing cooperative work-education 
                programs in STEM disciplines for students; or
            ``(4) enhancing education in STEM disciplines at minority 
        institutions by--
                    ``(A) establishing partnerships between offerors 
                and such institutions for the purpose of training 
                students in STEM disciplines;
                    ``(B) conducting recruitment activities at such 
                institutions; or
                    ``(C) making internships or apprenticeships 
                available to students of such institutions.
    ``(d) Allowability of Costs.--Activities described in subsection 
(c) shall be considered as allowable community service activities for 
the purposes of determining allowability of cost on a government 
contract.
    ``(e) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The terms `elementary school' and `secondary school' 
        have the meanings given those terms in section 8101 of the 
        Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            ``(2) The term `institution of higher education' has the 
        meaning given that term in section 101 of the Higher Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).
            ``(3) The term `minority institution' means--
                    ``(A) a part B institution (as that term is defined 
                in section 322(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
                (20 U.S.C. 1061(2)); or
                    ``(B) any other institution of higher education (as 
                that term is defined in section 101 of such Act (20 
                U.S.C. 1001)) at which not less than 50 percent of the 
                total student enrollment consists of students from 
                ethnic groups that are underrepresented in the fields 
                of science and engineering.
            ``(4) The term `STEM disciplines' means disciplines 
        relating to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, 
        including disciplines that are critical to the national 
        security functions of the Department of Defense and that are 
        needed in the Department of Defense workforce (as determined by 
        the Secretary of Defense under section 2192a(a)).''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the 
        item relating to section 2192b the following new item:

``2192c. Program to enhance contractor participation in science, 
                            technology, engineering, and mathematics 
                            activities.''.
    (b) Conforming Repeal.--Section 862 of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (Public Law 112-81; 10 U.S.C. 
note prec. 2191) is repealed.
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