[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 117 (Thursday, June 25, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3544-S3545]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 2108. Ms. ROSEN (for herself, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Peters, and Mr.
Jones) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by her to the
bill S. 4049, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2021 for
military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of subtitle E of title V, add the following:
SEC. ___. GRANTS TO SUPPORT STEM EDUCATION IN THE JUNIOR
RESERVE OFFICERS' TRAINING CORPS.
(a) Program Required.--
(1) In general.--Chapter 102 of title 10, United States
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new
section:
``Sec. 2036. Grants to support science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics education
``(a) Program Required.--The Secretary, in consultation
with the Secretary of Education, may carry out a program to
make grants to eligible entities to assist such entities in
providing education in covered subjects to students in the
Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps.
``(b) Coordination.--In carrying out the program under
subsection (a), the Secretary may coordinate with the
following:
``(1) The Secretaries of the military departments.
``(2) The Secretary of Education.
``(3) The Director of the National Science Foundation.
``(4) The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration.
``(5) The heads of such other Federal, State, and local
government entities the Secretary of Defense determines to be
appropriate.
``(6) Private sector organizations as the Secretary of
Defense determines appropriate.
``(c) Activities.--Activities funded with grants under this
section may include the following:
``(1) Training and other support for instructors to teach
courses in covered subjects to students.
``(2) The acquisition of materials, hardware, and software
necessary for the instruction of covered subjects.
``(3) Activities that improve the quality of educational
materials, training opportunities, and curricula available to
students and instructors in covered subjects.
``(4) Development of travel opportunities, demonstrations,
mentoring programs, and informal education in covered
subjects for students and instructors.
[[Page S3545]]
``(5) Students' pursuit of certifications in covered
subjects.
``(d) Preference.--In making grants under this section, the
Secretary shall give preference to eligible entities that are
eligible for assistance under part A of title I of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
6311 et seq.).
``(e) Evaluations.--The Secretary shall establish outcome-
based metrics and internal and external assessments to
evaluate the merits and benefits of the activities funded
with grants under this section with respect to the needs of
the Department of Defense.
``(f) Authorities.--In carrying out the program under this
section, the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, make
use of the authorities under chapter 111 and sections 2601
and 2605 of this title, and other authorities the Secretary
determines appropriate.
``(g) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) The term `eligible entity' means a local education
agency that hosts a unit of the Junior Reserve Officers'
Training Corps.
``(2) The term `covered subjects' means--
``(A) science;
``(B) technology;
``(C) engineering;
``(D) mathematics;
``(E) computer science;
``(F) computational thinking;
``(G) artificial intelligence;
``(H) machine learning;
``(I) data science;
``(J) cybersecurity;
``(K) robotics; and
``(L) other subjects determined by the Secretary of Defense
to be related to science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics.''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the
beginning of chapter 102 of such title is amended by adding
at the end the following new item:
``2036. Grants to support science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics education.''.
(b) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit
to the congressional defense committees a report on the
activities carried out under section 2036 of title 10, United
States Code (as added by subsection (a)).
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