[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 24, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H1098-H1100]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       STEM EDUCATION ACT OF 2015

  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 1020) to define STEM education to include computer 
science, and to support existing STEM education programs at the 
National Science Foundation.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1020

       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 Act of 
     2015''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF STEM EDUCATION.

       For purposes of carrying out STEM education activities at 
     the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, 
     the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the 
     National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National 
     Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Environmental 
     Protection Agency, the term ``STEM education'' means 
     education in the subjects of science, technology, 
     engineering, and mathematics, including computer science.

     SEC. 3. INFORMAL STEM EDUCATION.

       (a) Grants.--The Director of the National Science 
     Foundation, through the Directorate for Education and Human 
     Resources, shall continue to award competitive, merit-
     reviewed grants to support--
       (1) research and development of innovative out-of-school 
     STEM learning and emerging STEM learning environments in 
     order to improve STEM learning outcomes and engagement in 
     STEM; and
       (2) research that advances the field of informal STEM 
     education.
       (b) Uses of Funds.--Activities supported by grants under 
     this section may encompass a single STEM discipline, multiple 
     STEM disciplines, or integrative STEM initiatives and shall 
     include--
       (1) research and development that improves our 
     understanding of learning and engagement in informal 
     environments, including the role of informal environments in 
     broadening participation in STEM; and
       (2) design and testing of innovative STEM learning models, 
     programs, and other resources for informal learning 
     environments to improve STEM learning outcomes and increase 
     engagement for K-12 students, K-12 teachers, and the general 
     public, including design and testing of the scalability of 
     models, programs, and other resources.

     SEC. 4. NOYCE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AMENDMENTS.

       (a) Amendments.--Section 10A of the National Science 
     Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n-1a) is 
     amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)(2)(B), by inserting ``or bachelor's'' 
     after ``master's'';
       (2) in subsection (c)--
       (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (2)(B);
       (B) in paragraph (3)--
       (i) by inserting ``for teachers with master's degrees in 
     their field'' after ``Teaching Fellowships''; and
       (ii) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (B) 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
       ``(4) in the case of National Science Foundation Master 
     Teaching Fellowships for teachers with bachelor's degrees in 
     their field and working toward a master's degree--
       ``(A) offering academic courses leading to a master's 
     degree and leadership training to prepare individuals to 
     become master teachers in elementary and secondary schools; 
     and
       ``(B) offering programs both during and after matriculation 
     in the program for which the fellowship is received to enable 
     fellows to become highly effective mathematics and science 
     teachers, including mentoring, training, induction, and 
     professional development activities, to fulfill the service 
     requirements of this section, including the requirements of 
     subsection (e), and to exchange ideas with others in their 
     fields.'';
       (3) in subsection (e), by striking ``subsection (g)'' and 
     inserting ``subsection (h)'';
       (4) by redesignating subsections (g) through (i) as 
     subsections (h) through (j), respectively; and
       (5) by inserting after subsection (f) the following new 
     subsection:
       ``(g) Support for Master Teaching Fellows While Enrolled in 
     a Master's Degree Program.--A National Science Foundation 
     Master Teacher Fellow may receive a maximum of 1 year of 
     fellowship support while enrolled in a master's degree 
     program as described in subsection (c)(4)(A), except that if 
     such fellow is enrolled in a part-time program, such amount 
     shall be prorated according to the length of the program.''.
       (b) Definition.--Section 10(i)(5) of the National Science 
     Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n-
     1(i)(5)) is amended by inserting ``computer science,'' after 
     ``means a science,''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Smith) and the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. Esty) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the STEM Education Act of 2015 is 
bipartisan legislation that includes computer science in the definition 
of STEM education for programs and activities at our Federal science 
agencies. The bill also supports and strengthens ongoing STEM education 
efforts at the National Science Foundation. Similar legislation passed 
the House last year by voice vote.
  I thank Representative Elizabeth Esty for cosponsoring the bill again 
this year. I also thank our new Research and Technology Subcommittee 
Chairwoman Barbara Comstock, Subcommittee Ranking Member Dan Lipinski, 
Subcommittee Vice Chair John Moolenaar, and Representatives Randy 
Hultgren, Larry Bucshon, Chris Collins, David McKinley, and Jaime 
Herrera Beutler for their support.
  Last Congress the Science, Space, and Technology Committee held 
several hearings on STEM education. Each hearing highlighted the 
importance of STEM education to keep America on the cutting edge of new 
products and ideas. Our hearings discussed the merits of ensuring 
computer science is included as a component of the science, technology, 
engineering, and mathematics that make up STEM education. Today a 
variety of jobs in industries from banking to engineering to medicine 
require familiarity with computer science.

                              {time}  1630

  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, computing and 
mathematics will be one of the top 10 fastest growing major 
occupational groups from 2010 to 2020, with a growth rate of 4 percent 
annually compared to 1 percent for all other industries.
  Unfortunately, America lags behind many other nations when it comes 
to STEM education. American students rank 21st in science and 26th in 
math. That must change for the better.
  We need to ensure that our Nation's youth have the scientific and 
mathematical skills to strive and thrive in a technology-based economy, 
but we have to capture and hold the desire of young adults to study 
STEM subjects so they will want to pursue these careers.
  H.R. 1020 includes language suggested by Mr. Lipinski to support 
informal STEM education programs and activities at the National Science 
Foundation. These activities reach students outside of the classroom 
and strengthen a student's engagement in STEM subject areas.
  The STEM Education Act also ensures that teachers working towards a 
master's degree program in STEM subjects can participate in the Robert 
Noyce Master Teacher Fellowship program. I thank Ms. Esty for this good 
addition to the bill.
  This program provides opportunities for teachers who want to bolster 
their teaching skills. Through the Master Teaching fellowships, 
individuals receive training in order to become highly effective 
mathematics and science teachers. With this bill, the program now will 
encourage more teachers to pursue advanced degrees.
  A healthy and viable STEM workforce literate in all STEM subjects, 
including computer science, is critical to American industries. A well-
educated and trained STEM workforce ensures our future economic 
prosperity. More graduates with STEM degrees means more advanced 
technologies and a more robust economy.
  Support for this bill from organizations like the STEM Education 
Coalition, STEM4US!, and Code.org illustrate the importance of aligning 
our

[[Page H1099]]

Federal STEM programs with workforce needs. We must work to ensure that 
students continue to go into these fields so that their innovative 
ideas can lead to a more innovative and prosperous America.
  I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I want to begin by thanking my friend, Chairman Smith, for his 
leadership on the Science Committee, particularly on STEM education.
  For the second Congress in a row, we are considering the STEM 
Education Act on the House floor. I am grateful that we are advancing 
these important efforts in a bipartisan fashion, thanks in large part 
to the chairman's willingness to work across the aisle.
  I would also like to thank and recognize the work of Representative 
Lipinski for his diligent work on this and many other bills and my good 
friend Eddie Bernice Johnson for her thoughtful leadership on STEM 
education and on all issues facing the Science Committee.
  The STEM Education Act of 2015 supports teachers who are preparing 
students to be the engineers, manufacturers, and scientists of 
tomorrow. We all know that students, particularly elementary school 
students, learn best when they are engaged and interested.
  However, any parent knows that it can be difficult to spark a 
student's passion for STEM subjects without innovative and creative 
learning environments. With more and more jobs of the 21st century 
requiring STEM skills, we need to better prepare our children for these 
good-paying jobs.
  As a mother of three, I remember when my children had incredible 
teachers who made science and math accessible and fun. We should do all 
we can to support innovative, passionate teachers for every child in 
every school.
  This bill today includes sections of my STEM Jobs Act, a bill 
expanding the Robert Noyce Master Teaching Fellowship program at the 
National Science Foundation. Currently, Master Teaching fellowships 
provide mentoring, training, and financial support to STEM 
professionals who want to enter the teaching profession.
  In Connecticut, we have two Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship 
programs. UConn's Teachers for Tomorrow program prepares teachers 
throughout the State to teach math, biology, physics, and chemistry to 
students of all ages. At the University of Bridgeport, the Master 
Teacher Fellowship program places master physics teachers in high-need 
high schools in southwestern Connecticut.
  Our bill today expands the Master Teaching Fellowship so that those 
who are working towards a master's degree, not just those who already 
have a master's degree, are also eligible to apply--supporting more 
passionate teachers and, in doing so, allowing more students to benefit 
from excellent STEM instructors.
  Our bill also promotes learning outside of the classroom. In 
Connecticut, we have the wonderful Connecticut Science Center, with 
incredibly creative exhibits like one called ``Grossology,'' where 
children can explore how to keep their bodies healthy by crawling 
through an enormous digestive system and experiencing a ``larger than 
life sneeze,'' perfect for inspiring our Nation's future doctors and 
biomedical researchers.
  In addition to educating and inspiring our children, science centers, 
planetariums, and aquariums across the country also provide invaluable 
teacher training. Last year alone, the Connecticut Science Center 
trained nearly 1,200 teachers who then went on to teach and inspire 
tens of thousands of their students.
  The bill today directs the National Science Foundation to continue to 
award competitive grants for out-of-school STEM learning experiences 
for both students and teachers.
  Finally, our bill takes the important step of expanding the 
definition of STEM for Federal programs and grants to include computer 
science.
  As a member of the Science Committee and Representative Lipinski's 
STEM Education Caucus, I have been a strong advocate for increasing 
literacy in computer science. This winter, I joined students from 
across the State and more than 100 million worldwide to participate in 
an hour of code. We learned basic computer programming skills and 
discovered it is a lot of fun.
  I also helped create the Congressional App Challenge and hosted this 
competition in my district where students created and built apps for 
their smartphones. The entries submitted by these high school students 
were incredibly innovative and useful, technologically advanced, as 
well as terrific examples of the problem solving we need all of our 
students to learn.
  The winning apps included an app to keep teachers informed during a 
school emergency, a program to help students know if they are going to 
be able to catch their bus on time, an app I know that my children 
would have benefited from greatly on those cold Connecticut winter 
mornings--like this morning--and an app to help high school freshmen 
learn their way around a big new school.
  The STEM app competition helps students experience for themselves how 
important and fun computer science can be; but, for example, in 
Connecticut, where only 65 schools across the State have dedicated 
computer science programs, it is critical that we continue to 
expand access to computer science education for all students.

  Mr. Speaker, I am proud that we are rising above partisan politics to 
advance the bipartisan STEM Education Act of 2015. This bill 
demonstrates that we can come together to help our children, to help 
them thrive, and to help ensure that they will be competitive in the 
21st century global economy.
  I want, again, to thank Chairman Smith and Representative Lipinski 
for their leadership and the committee staff for their hard work on the 
STEM Education Act.
  I would also like to thank my friend, Ranking Member Johnson, a 
dedicated STEM champion, who is leading all of us on the Science 
Committee to truly recognize the importance of a robust and 
multidisciplinary STEM education and inspire us to do more across the 
board to support STEM.
  I look forward to working with Ranking Member Johnson and the rest of 
the committee to further advance our priorities in Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as she may consume to the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson), my friend, the 
ranking member of the Science Committee.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of 
H.R. 1020--although, reluctantly, I must qualify my support. I will 
begin with the parts of the bill that I strongly support.
  I want to thank Ms. Esty for her language to amend NSF's Noyce Master 
Teacher Fellowship program. This is an important update to the program 
to ensure that we are tapping into our entire pool of talented math and 
science teachers who might serve as master teachers in their schools 
and districts.
  I also want to thank Mr. Lipinski for his language to authorize the 
National Science Foundation's informal STEM education portfolio. While 
we know that informal STEM education learning holds great promise to 
increase engagement in STEM by diverse populations and to enhance 
learning of STEM content, there is still more R&D to be done to make 
sure we are developing and implementing the most effective programs.
  My support for those sections of this bill is unqualified. However, I 
must express my concern about the definition for STEM included in this 
legislation which differs in a significant way from the definition of 
STEM that Chairman Smith proposed in last year's version of this same 
bill.
  Specifically, the current version would define STEM as ``science, 
technology, engineering, and mathematics, including computer science.'' 
Last year's version, developed in collaboration with the STEM Education 
Coalition, read as ``science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, 
including other academic subjects that build on these disciplines such 
as computer science.''
  This second definition, the one this entire House agreed to last 
year, was agreed to because it left the door open

[[Page H1100]]

for other critical fields such as statistics and geology that don't 
cleanly fit into S, T, E, or M of STEM in K-12 teacher certifications 
and curricula.
  I think we can all agree to the importance of computer science 
education. The current disconnect between the high demand for 
information technology jobs and limited opportunities for students to 
be exposed to computer science at the K-12 level puts American students 
and American companies at a significant disadvantage.
  However, it baffles me as to why we would implicitly devalue such 
fields as statistics and geology in order to highlight computer 
science.
  Statistics is an essential tool across all fields of science. Without 
good statistics, the biomedical research results that we count on to 
develop new diagnostics and therapeutics for diseases would be 
meaningless.
  Without geology, oil and gas companies would not be able to locate 
and drill for new sources of energy. Without geology, we will never 
achieve early warning for earthquakes to save lives. Whether we are 
from Texas or California, we ought to place high value on geology.
  I am also baffled why this bill is so urgent that we had to skip 
regular order to bring it to the floor. I requested that the committee 
hold a hearing or a markup on this legislation so that we might settle 
the definition dispute in committee after an open and public debate, 
but my request was denied.
  Mr. Speaker, I will support this bill today, but I hope that the 
Senate will be wiser than we are being today in defining STEM. This is 
not simply semantics. How and what science is taught in our Nation's 
classrooms is essential to our future economic competitiveness, 
national security, and overall well-being.
  Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1645


                         Parliamentary Inquiry

  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, parliamentary inquiry.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will state his parliamentary 
inquiry.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Is it too late for me to yield time to the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Moolenaar), who I had mentioned a while 
ago was on the way to the House floor to speak on this particular bill?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Does the gentleman from Texas ask unanimous 
consent to reclaim his time?
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to reclaim 
my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman 
from Michigan (Mr. Moolenaar), who is a member of the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology and is also vice chair of the 
Subcommittee on Research and Technology.
  Mr. MOOLENAAR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.
  Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education is 
necessary to prepare today's students for future job opportunities. 
H.R. 1020 will add computer science under the definition of STEM 
programs while providing STEM grants for the research of new, informal, 
out-of-school methods for teaching STEM subjects.
  Whether it is a hands-on museum, a science competition, or an 
internship as a lab assistant, finding the best ways to teach these 
critical subjects outside of the classroom will help students who might 
not learn these subjects in a traditional setting.
  As our Nation's employers look to fill good-paying jobs, STEM 
education has applications across the board, including skilled trades 
in construction, manufacturing, and welding. Every student who learns 
these skills will have the solid academic background to secure 
employment in a career field.
  This important legislation will benefit bright young minds outside of 
the classroom and help our country remain the world leader in research 
and innovation.
  I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 1020.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________