III 117th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 640 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 17, 2022 Mr. Padilla (for himself and Mr. Cornyn ) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Expressing support to increase the growing number of Latino students and young professionals entering careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Whereas the Latino population in the United States has grown significantly over the years on a national basis and Latinos accounted for more than 62,000,000 residents in 2020; Whereas the number of Latinos enrolled at an institution of higher education has increased from 2,900,000 in 2010 to 3,600,000 in 2019; Whereas Latinos are responsible for 78 percent of the growth of the labor force of the United States since the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009; Whereas the Latino population in the United States is growing more rapidly than the non-Latino population and has a younger median age of 29.5 years, as compared to 40.6 years among non-Latinos in 2018; Whereas the overall number of graduates in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (in this preamble referred to as STEM ) has increased, but Latino workers remain underrepresented in the STEM workforce, making up 18 percent of total employees across all occupations but only 8 percent of all STEM workers; Whereas the percentage of Latino workers in STEM occupations has only increased by 1 percent annually since 2016; Whereas the attractiveness of STEM career paths is evidenced by the fact that the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded in STEM fields increased for all individuals in the United States by 62 percent between 2010 and 2018, in comparison to a 20 percent growth for all other degrees; Whereas, while surveys indicate that Latino students are interested in STEM education and aspire to STEM careers at similar rates as overrepresented groups, Latinos make up a disproportionately low share of the STEM workforce; Whereas many Latino students are not well-positioned to take full advantage of financial aid opportunities to attend an institution of higher education, and the National Center for Education Statistics reports that 70 percent of Latino students have unmet financial needs, the highest of any demographic, which is especially true in the case of first-generation college students in Latino families, making it far more difficult for them to pursue STEM education and careers; Whereas the growth of well-paying STEM jobs is expected to outpace non-STEM jobs in the coming years, making STEM fields even more attractive for Latino students and young adults and increasing the need for new strategies to facilitate their entrance into STEM fields; and Whereas investment in the Latino community will generate more individuals eager to pursue STEM jobs and will greatly increase the domestic high-skilled workforce of the United States: Now therefore be it

That the Senate— (1) supports the goal of increasing the number of Latino individuals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (in this resolution referred to as STEM ) as a way to promote economic empowerment and sustainability, not only in their community but in the overall economy of the United States; (2) supports increasing the representation of Latino individuals in STEM fields to enhance and improve representation and improve performance in the STEM workforce, which will help— (A) develop talented and capable STEM workers; (B) reduce the dependence of the economy of the United States on foreign workers; and (C) secure the future of the United States as a leader in STEM; (3) encourages increased Federal support for initiatives aimed at boosting the number of Latino students who pursue STEM education and career paths, particularly engineering; and (4) recognizes the important role that Hispanic Serving Institutions and all colleges and universities must play in order to achieve this goal of increasing Latino individuals in STEM.