[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 166 (Friday, October 5, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1373]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           COMBATING SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN SCIENCE ACT OF 2018

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                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 5, 2018

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I am joined by 
31 of my colleagues in introducing the Combating Sexual Harassment in 
Science Act of 2018. The nation at large is beginning to reckon with 
the pervasiveness of sexual harassment and its impact on the lives and 
careers of women, including in academia.
  The academic workplace, when compared to the military, private 
sector, and government, has the second-highest rate of sexual 
harassment, with 58% of women in academia experiencing sexual 
harassment. This behavior undermines career advancement for women in 
critical STEM fields, and many women report leaving promising careers 
in academic research due to sexual harassment. Women of color are even 
more likely to experience sexual harassment and to feel unsafe at work. 
We cannot afford--morally, scientifically, or economically--to continue 
to lose these skilled scientists and engineers, particularly from 
groups that are already underrepresented in STEM.
  As recommended in a recent report by the National Academies, this 
bill establishes a National Science Foundation program to support 
research into the factors contributing to sexual harassment in the 
scientific workforce, as well as the collection of data on the 
prevalence of sexual harassment in STEM. Furthermore, this bill directs 
the Office of Science and Technology Policy to issue uniform policy 
guidelines to Federal science agencies to ensure every agency has clear 
policies and dedicated resources to prevent and respond to incidents of 
sexual harassment at academic institutions receiving federal research 
funding. It also creates an interagency working group to improve 
coordination and communication among agencies.
  It is our hope that this legislation will build upon progress already 
made by the National Science Foundation through recent updates to its 
sexual harassment policy. It is vital that grantees, as stewards of 
Federal money, take seriously their responsibility to foster a healthy 
working environment as they train the next generation of scientists. It 
is encouraging that other agency heads have expressed intent to address 
sexual harassment in research. National Institutes of Health Director, 
Dr. Francis Collins, and nominee for Director of the Office of Science 
and Technology Policy, Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier, have both made strong 
statements regarding their intent to tackle the problem of sexual 
harassment in STEM, and I look forward to seeing these intentions 
translate into meaningful actions. Our bill is just a starting point. 
Every agency has unique challenges and significant change will require 
creative solutions.
  Scientific societies also play an important role in combating sexual 
harassment in the sciences. For example, the American Association for 
the Advancement of Science recently adopted a policy that allows the 
AAAS Council to revoke Fellow status for scientific misconduct, which 
includes sexual harassment.
  I am pleased that my legislation is endorsed by numerous scientific 
societies. In developing this bill, feedback from university 
organizations and scientific societies has been invaluable, and it is 
encouraging that so many key players are committed to addressing sexual 
harassment in science.
  This legislation has also been vetted by the National Science 
Foundation and the Office of Science and Technology Policy, who will be 
instrumental in carrying out its provisions, and the National 
Academies, whose recommendations we seek to codify. The result of this 
process is a bill that enables a coordinated approach to addressing the 
problem of sexual harassment at grant-receiving institutions and that 
funds research that will serve as the foundation for future initiatives 
in this area.
  I thank all of the Members who have cosponsored this legislation, and 
I urge the rest of my colleagues to join us and help move this 
legislation forward into law.

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