H.R. 3124

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3124 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3124

To increase the participation of historically underrepresented 
demographic groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 
education and industry.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 30, 2025

Ms. Strickland (for herself, Ms. Brown, Mr. Case, Ms. Norton, Mr. 
Jackson of Illinois, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Cohen, Mrs. McIver, Mr. Huffman, 
Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Whitesides, and Ms. Stansbury) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To increase the participation of historically underrepresented 
demographic groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 
education and industry.

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 ``Women and Underrepresented 
Minorities in STEM Booster Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM TO INCREASE THE PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN AND 
UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES IN STEM FIELDS.

(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) According to the National Academies of Sciences, 
Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), science, technology, 
engineering, and math (referred to in this Act as ``STEM'') 
education is critical to ensuring the United States maintains a 
diverse and competitive workforce.
(2) According to NASEM and the National Institutes of 
Health (NIH), diverse teams of STEM professionals innovate at 
higher rates than teams composed of individuals with similar 
identities or backgrounds.
(3) According to the National Science Foundation (NSF), in 
2020, women earned only 43 percent of bachelor's degrees in 
physical and earth sciences, 26 percent in mathematical and 
computer sciences, and 24 percent in engineering. By contrast, 
women earned 66 percent of bachelor's degrees in social and 
behavioral sciences and 64 percent in agricultural and 
biological sciences.
(4) According to the NSF, STEM degree programs that are 
currently underrepresented by women also receive greater 
Federal financial support for education and living expenses, 
compared with degree programs with disproportionately high 
female enrollment. Thus, male graduate students receive more 
Federal financial support than women.
(5) According to the NSF, while Black or African Americans 
made up 14 percent of the population of the United States (ages 
18-34 years) in 2021, only 9 percent of bachelor's degree 
recipients in science and engineering were awarded to that same 
racial group. Moreover, while 22 percent of the population of 
the United States (ages 18-34) were Hispanic or Latino, they 
comprised only 17 percent of science and engineering bachelor's 
degrees awarded that year.
(6) According to the National Center for Education 
Statistics (NCES), only 0.3 percent of bachelors' degrees and 
less than 0.2 percent of masters and doctoral degrees in STEM 
were awarded to American Indian and Alaska Native students from 
2020 through 2021, less than half their representation of the 
total population of the United States in 2021.
(7) The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that in 2023, only 5 
percent of women who worked full time in the United States were 
employed in computer, engineering, or science occupations while 
nearly 12 percent of men who worked full time in the United 
States were employed in computer, engineering, or science 
occupations. Less than 5 percent of Black or African Americans 
who worked full time in the United States were employed in 
computer, engineering, or science occupations and only 4 
percent of Hispanic or Latino Americans who worked full time in 
the United States were employed in computer, engineering, or 
science occupations, while the national average of the full-
time workforce in the United States who were employed in 
computer, engineering, or science occupations was 9 percent.
(8) According to the U.S. Census Bureau, from 2017 through 
2021, only 5 percent of American Indian and Alaska Natives who 
worked full time in the United States were employed in 
computer, engineering, or science occupations.
(9) According to the National Center for Science and 
Engineering Statistics (NCSES), women leave STEM fields at much 
higher rates than men. In 2021, while 79 percent of women 
awarded STEM degrees in 2020 were employed in a STEM 
occupation, only 53 percent of women remained in STEM within 5 
years of earning their highest degree, and only 44 percent 
remained after 10 years. By contrast, 86 percent of men who had 
earned STEM degrees in 2020 were employed in STEM occupations, 
73 percent of men remained in STEM within 5 years of earning 
their degree, and 70 percent of men remained in STEM after 10 
years.
(10) According to NCSES, STEM retention is even lower for 
women of color. In 2021, only 50 percent of Black women and 44 
percent of Hispanic women who received STEM degrees in 2020 
were employed in a STEM occupation, compared with 82 percent of 
white, non-Hispanic women. Less than 30 percent of Black or 
Hispanic women remained in STEM after 10 years, compared with 
52 percent of white, non-Hispanic women.
(11) According to NCSES, STEM retention rates for Black or 
Hispanic men are higher than for women of any race but lower 
than white, non-Hispanic men. In 2021, 87 percent of Black or 
Hispanic men who received STEM degrees in 2020 were employed in 
a STEM occupation, compared with 93 percent of white, non-
Hispanic men. Only 51 percent of Black and 61 percent of 
Hispanic men remained in STEM after 10 years, compared with 74 
percent of white, non-Hispanic men.
(12) Data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that certain 
Asian-American subgroups are still underrepresented in STEM. 
From 2017 through 2021, while 8 percent of workers in the 
United States were employed in computing, engineering, and 
science occupations, less than 8 percent of Cambodian, 
Filipino, Hmong, and Laotian workers were employed in these 
occupations. These subgroups are even less represented when 
compared to all workers of Asian descent. In 2023, nearly 20 
percent of all workers of Asian descent who were employed full 
time in the United States were employed in computer, 
engineering, and science occupations.
(13) The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that in 2023, only 5 
percent of Native Hawai`ian and other Pacific Islander (NHPI) 
workers were employed in computing, engineering, and science 
occupations.
(14) Also, according to NCES, Native Hawai`ian and other 
Pacific Islander (NHPI) STEM degree recipients are 
underrepresented compared with their overall population (0.2 
percent of all United States individuals). NHPI students 
received less than 0.2 percent of all bachelor's degrees, and 
less than 0.1 percent of master's and doctoral degrees, awarded 
in STEM from 2020 through 2021.
(15) According to research published by the American 
Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 
undergraduate students identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, 
or queer (LGBQ) were 7 percent less likely to be retained in 
STEM programs compared with their heterosexual counterparts, 
despite the fact that LGBQ students are 10 percent more likely 
to participate in undergraduate research experiences, which is 
a significant contributor to STEM retention absent other 
factors such as sexual or gender identity, than their 
heterosexual counterparts.
(16) According to research published by the American 
Society for Cell Biology, transgender and gender nonconforming 
undergraduate students, who represent 1 in 14 adults in the 
United States aged 18-24, are 10 percent less likely to remain 
in STEM majors than their cisgender counterparts.
(17) Research published by the AAAS also indicates that 22 
percent of LGBTQ professionals had thought about leaving their 
STEM job, compared with 15 percent of non-LGBTQ STEM 
professionals. Moreover, 12 percent of LGBTQ professionals 
planned to leave their STEM profession within the next 5 years, 
compared with 8 percent of non-LGBTQ professionals.
(18) Finally, according to the NSF, persons with a 
disability are underrepresented in the general workforce (4 
percent) compared with their representation in the general 
United States population (9 percent), and even less represented 
in the STEM workforce (3 percent).
(b) Program Authorized.--The Director of the National Science 
Foundation shall award grants to eligible entities, on a competitive 
basis, to enable such eligible entities to carry out the activities 
described in subsection (d), in order to increase the participation of 
women, persons underrepresented in science and engineering, and persons 
with disabilities in the fields of science, technology, engineering, 
and mathematics.
(c) Application.--Each eligible entity that desires to receive a 
grant under this section shall submit an application to the National 
Science Foundation at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Director of the National Science Foundation may 
reasonably require.
(d) Authorized Activities.--An eligible entity that receives a 
grant under this section shall use such grant funds to carry out 1 or 
more of the following activities designed to increase the participation 
of women, persons underrepresented in science and engineering, or 
persons with disabilities, or 2 or more of such groups, in the fields 
of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics:
(1) Online workshops.
(2) Mentoring programs that partner science, technology, 
engineering, or mathematics professionals with students.
(3) Internships for undergraduate and graduate students in 
the fields of science, technology, engineering, and 
mathematics.
(4) Conducting outreach programs that provide elementary 
school and secondary school students with opportunities to 
increase their exposure to the fields of science, technology, 
engineering, or mathematics.
(5) Programs to increase the recruitment and retention of 
underrepresented faculty.
(6) Such additional programs as the Director of the 
National Science Foundation may determine.
(e) Definitions.--In this Act:
(1) Minority.--The term ``minority'' means American Indian, 
Alaskan Native, Black (not of Hispanic origin), Hispanic 
(including persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Central 
or South American origin), Asian (including underrepresented 
subgroups), Native Hawai`ian, Pacific Islander origin subgroup, 
or other ethnic group underrepresented in science and 
engineering, or lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer 
(LGBTQ), or gender-nonconforming.
(2) Person with a disability.--The term ``person with a 
disability'' means an individual with 1 or more disability 
types as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population 
Survey (CPS).
(3) Underrepresented in science and engineering.--The term 
``underrepresented in science and engineering'' means a 
minority group whose number of scientists and engineers per 
10,000 population of that group is substantially below the 
comparable figure for scientists and engineers who are White 
and not of Hispanic origin.
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $15,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, and 2030.
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