[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5509 Reported in House (RH)]
<DOC>
Union Calendar No. 763
115th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5509
[Report No. 115-975]
To direct the National Science Foundation to provide grants for
research about STEM education approaches and the STEM-related
workforce, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 13, 2018
Mr. McCarthy (for himself and Mr. Smith of Texas) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space,
and Technology
September 25, 2018
Additional sponsors: Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Marshall,
Mr. Lipinski, Mr. Knight, Mrs. Lesko, and Mr. Balderson
September 25, 2018
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April
13, 2018]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the National Science Foundation to provide grants for
research about STEM education approaches and the STEM-related
workforce, and for other purposes.
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 ``Innovations in Mentoring, Training,
and Apprenticeships Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) To remain competitive in the global economy, foster
greater innovation, and provide a foundation for shared
prosperity, the United States needs a workforce with the right
mix of skills to meet the diverse needs of the economy.
(2) Evidence indicates that the returns on investments in
technical skills in the labor market are strong when students
successfully complete their training and gain credentials
sought by employers.
(3) The responsibility for developing and sustaining a
skilled technical workforce is fragmented across many groups,
including educators; students; workers; employers; Federal,
State, and local governments; labor organizations; and civic
associations. Such groups need to be able to coordinate and
cooperate successfully with each other.
(4) Coordination among students, community colleges,
secondary and post-secondary institutions, and employers would
improve educational outcomes.
(5) Promising experiments currently underway may guide
innovation and reform, but scalability of some of those
experiments has not yet been tested.
(6) Evidence suggests that integration of academic
education, technical training, and hands-on work experience
improves outcomes and return on investment for students in
secondary and post-secondary education and for skilled
technical workers in different career stages.
(7) Outcomes show that mentoring can increase STEM student
engagement and the rate of completion of STEM post-secondary
degrees.
SEC. 3. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION STEM INNOVATION AND APPRENTICESHIP
GRANTS.
(a) Establishment.--The Director of the National Science Foundation
shall award competitive grants to eligible applicants in accordance
with this section.
(b) Coordination.--In carrying out this section, the Director shall
consult and cooperate with the programs and policies of other relevant
Federal agencies to avoid duplication with, and enhance the
effectiveness of, the provision of grants under this section.
(c) Grants for Associate Degree Programs in STEM Fields.--
(1) In general.--The Director of the National Science
Foundation shall award competitive grants to community colleges
to develop or improve associate degree and certificate programs
in STEM fields in which there is significant workforce demand
in the region of the community college receiving the award and
a need to strengthen the global competitiveness of affected
companies.
(2) Application.--In considering applications for grants
under paragraph (1), the Director shall prioritize--
(A) applicants that consist of a partnership
between the applying community college and individual
employers or an employer consortia, or industry or
sector partnerships, and may include a university or
other organization with demonstrated expertise in
academic program development;
(B) applications that demonstrate current and
future workforce demand in occupations directly related
to the proposed associate degree or certificate
program.
(C) applications that include commitments by the
partnering employers or employer consortia, or industry
or sector partnerships to offer apprenticeships,
internships or other applied learning opportunities to
students enrolled in the proposed associate degree
program; and
(D) applications that include outreach plans and
goals for recruiting and enrolling women and other
historically underrepresented individuals in STEM
studies and careers in the proposed associate degree
program.
(3) Funding.--The National Science Foundation shall devote
not less than $20,000,000 to awards described in this
subsection, which shall include not less than $5,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2018 through 2021, subject to the
availability of appropriations, to come from amounts made
available for the Education and Human Resources Directorate.
This subsection shall be carried out using funds otherwise
appropriated by law after the date of enactment of this Act.
(d) Grants for STEM Degree Applied Learning Opportunities.--
(1) In general.--The Director of the National Science
Foundation shall award competitive grants to universities
partnering with employers or employer consortia, or industry or
sector partnerships that commit to offering apprenticeships,
internships, research opportunities, or applied learning
experiences to enrolled university students in identified four-
year STEM degree programs.
(2) Application.--In considering applications for grants
under paragraph (1), the Director shall prioritize--
(A) applicants that consist of a partnership
between--
(i) the applying university; and
(ii) individual employers or an employer
consortia, or industry or sector partnerships;
(B) applications that demonstrate current and
future workforce demand in occupations directly related
to selected STEM fields; and
(C) applications that include outreach plans and
goals for recruiting and enrolling women and other
populations historically underrepresented in STEM.
(3) Funding.--The National Science Foundation shall devote
not less than $10,000,000 to awards described in this
subsection, which shall include not less than $2,500,000 for
each of fiscal years 2018 through 2021, subject to the
availability of appropriations, to come from amounts made
available for the Education and Human Resources Directorate.
This subsection shall be carried out using funds otherwise
appropriated by law after the date of enactment of this Act.
(e) Grants for Computer-Based and Online STEM Education Courses.--
(1) In general.--The Director of the National Science
Foundation shall award competitive grants to institutions of
higher education or nonprofit organizations to conduct research
on student outcomes and determine best practices and
scalability of computer-based and online courses for technical
skills training.
(2) Research areas.--The research areas eligible for
funding under this subsection may include--
(A) post-secondary courses for technical training
for STEM occupations;
(B) improving high-school level vocational training
in STEM subjects;
(C) encouraging and sustaining interest and
achievement levels in STEM subjects among women and
other populations historically underrepresented in STEM
studies and careers; and
(D) combining computer-based and online STEM
education and training with traditional mentoring and
other mentoring arrangements, apprenticeships,
internships, and other applied learning opportunities.
(3) Funding.--The National Science Foundation shall devote
not less than $10,000,000 to awards described in this
subsection, which shall include not less than $2,500,000 for
each of fiscal years 2018 through 2021, subject to the
availability of appropriations, to come from amounts made
available for the Education and Human Resources Directorate.
This subsection shall be carried out using funds otherwise
appropriated by law after the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 4. RESEARCH ON EFFICIENCY OF SKILLED TECHNICAL LABOR MARKETS.
(a) Efficiency of Skilled Technical Labor Markets.--The Directorate
of Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences of the National Science
Foundation, in coordination with the Secretary of Labor, shall support
research that improves the efficiency of skilled technical labor
markets in the United States, including research on labor market
analysis innovations, data and information sciences, electronic
information tools and methodologies, and metrics.
(b) Comparison of United States Workforce.--
(1) Research.--The National Science Foundation shall
commission research that compares and contrasts skilled
technical workforce development between the United States and
other developed countries, including the diversity of skilled
technical and professional workforces, to the extent feasible.
(2) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Science
Foundation shall submit to Congress a report on the results of
the study under paragraph (1).
(c) Skilled Technical Workforce.--
(1) Review.--The National Center for Science and
Engineering Statistics of the National Science Foundation shall
consult and coordinate with other relevant Federal statistical
agencies to explore the feasibility of expanding its surveys to
include the collection of objective data on the skilled
technical workforce.
(2) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Science
Foundation shall submit to Congress a report containing the
progress made in expanding the National Center for Science and
Engineering Statistics surveys to include the skilled technical
workforce. Such report shall include a plan for multi-agency
collaboration in order to effect data collection and reporting
of data on the skilled technical workforce.
SEC. 5. SPENDING LIMITATION.
No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out
this Act and the amendments made by this Act, and this Act and such
amendments shall be carried out using amounts otherwise available for
such purpose.
SEC. 6. EVALUATION AND REPORT.
(a) Evaluation.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Foundation shall
evaluate the grants and programs provided under this Act.
(2) Requirements.--In conducting the evaluation under
paragraph (1), the Director shall use a common set of
benchmarks and assessment tools to identify best practices and
materials developed or demonstrated by the research conducted
pursuant to such grants and programs.
(b) Report on Evaluations.--Not later than 180 days after the
completion of the evaluation under subsection (a), the Director of the
Foundation shall submit to Congress and make widely available to the
public a report that includes--
(1) the results of the evaluation; and
(2) any recommendations for administrative and legislative
action that could optimize the effectiveness of the grants and
programs under this Act.
(c) Consultation.--In carrying out this section, the Director of
the Foundation shall consult the programs and policies of other
relevant Federal agencies to avoid duplication with, and enhance the
effectiveness of, the grants and programs under this Act.
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) STEM.--The term ``STEM'' means science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics, including computer science.
(2) Community college.--The term ``community college'' has
the meaning given the term ``junior and community college'' in
section 312 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1058).
(3) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such
term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001(a)).
(4) Region.--The term ``region'' means a labor market area,
as such term is defined in section 3 of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
(5) Skilled technical workforce.--The term ``skilled
technical workforce'' means workers with high school diplomas
and two-year technical training or certifications who employ
significant levels of STEM knowledge in their jobs.
(6) University.--The term ``university'' means a 4-year
institution of higher education, as defined in section 101(a)
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
Union Calendar No. 763
115th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5509
[Report No. 115-975]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the National Science Foundation to provide grants for
research about STEM education approaches and the STEM-related
workforce, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
September 25, 2018
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed