[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 160 (Wednesday, September 16, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H4463-H4468]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        RURAL STEM EDUCATION ACT

  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 4979) to direct the Director of the National 
Science Foundation to support STEM education and workforce development 
research focused on rural areas, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4979

       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 ``Rural STEM Education Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) The supply of STEM workers is not keeping pace with the 
     rapidly evolving needs of the public and private sector, 
     resulting in a deficit often referred to as a STEM skills 
     shortage.
       (2) According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the United 
     States will need one million additional STEM professionals 
     than it is on track to produce in the coming decade.
       (3) Many STEM occupations offer higher wages, more 
     opportunities for advancement, and a higher degree of job 
     security than non-STEM jobs.
       (4) The 60,000,000 individuals in the United States who 
     live in rural settings are significantly under-represented in 
     STEM.
       (5) According to the National Center for Education 
     Statistics, nine million students in the United States--
     nearly 20 percent of the total K-12 population--attend rural 
     schools, and for reasons ranging from teacher quality to 
     shortages of resources, these students often have fewer 
     opportunities for high-quality STEM learning than their peers 
     in the Nation's urban and suburban schools.
       (6) Rural areas represent one of the most promising, yet 
     underutilized, opportunities for STEM education to impact 
     workforce development and regional innovation, including 
     agriculture.
       (7) The study of agriculture, food, and natural resources 
     involves biology, engineering, physics, chemistry, math, 
     geology, computer science, and other scientific fields.
       (8) Employment in computer and information technology 
     occupations is projected to grow 11 percent from 2019 to 
     2029. To help meet this demand, it is important rural 
     students have the opportunity to acquire computing skills 
     through exposure to computer

[[Page H4464]]

     science learning in grades PreK - 12 and in informal learning 
     settings.
       (9) More than 293,000,000 individuals in the United States 
     use high-speed broadband to work, learn, access healthcare, 
     and operate their businesses, while 19,000,000 individuals in 
     the United States still lack access to high-speed broadband. 
     Rural areas are hardest hit, with over 26 percent of 
     individuals in rural areas in the United States lacking 
     access to high-speed broadband compared to 1.7 percent of 
     individuals in urban areas in the United States.

     SEC. 3. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION RURAL STEM ACTIVITIES.

       (a) Preparing Rural STEM Educators.--
       (1) In general.--The Director shall provide grants on a 
     merit-reviewed, competitive basis to institutions of higher 
     education or nonprofit organizations (or a consortium 
     thereof) for research and development to advance innovative 
     approaches to support and sustain high-quality STEM teaching 
     in rural schools.
       (2) Use of funds.--
       (A) In general.--Grants awarded under this section shall be 
     used for the research and development activities referred to 
     in paragraph (1), which may include--
       (i) engaging rural educators of students in grades Pre-K 
     through 12 in professional learning opportunities to enhance 
     STEM knowledge, including computer science, and develop best 
     practices;
       (ii) supporting research on effective STEM teaching 
     practices in rural settings, including the use of rubrics and 
     mastery-based grading practices to assess student performance 
     when employing the transdisciplinary teaching approach for 
     STEM disciplines;
       (iii) designing and developing pre-service and in-service 
     training resources to assist such rural educators in adopting 
     transdisciplinary teaching practices across STEM courses;
       (iv) coordinating with local partners to adapt STEM 
     teaching practices to leverage local natural and community 
     assets in order to support in-place learning in rural areas;
       (v) providing hands-on training and research opportunities 
     for rural educators described in clause (i) at Federal 
     Laboratories, institutions of higher education, or in 
     industry;
       (vi) developing training and best practices for educators 
     who teach multiple grade levels within a STEM discipline;
       (vii) designing and implementing professional development 
     courses and experiences, including mentoring, for rural 
     educators described in clause (i) that combine face-to-face 
     and online experiences; and
       (viii) any other activity the Director determines will 
     accomplish the goals of this subsection.
       (B) Rural stem collaborative.--The Director may establish a 
     pilot program of regional cohorts in rural areas that will 
     provide peer support, mentoring, and hands-on research 
     experiences for rural STEM educators of students in grades 
     Pre-K through 12, in order to build an ecosystem of 
     cooperation among educators, researchers, academia, and local 
     industry.
       (b) Broadening Participation of Rural Students in STEM.--
       (1) In general.--The Director shall provide grants on a 
     merit-reviewed, competitive basis to institutions of higher 
     education or nonprofit organizations (or a consortium 
     thereof) for--
       (A) research and development of programming to identify the 
     barriers rural students face in accessing high-quality STEM 
     education; and
       (B) development of innovative solutions to improve the 
     participation and advancement of rural students in grades 
     Pre-K through 12 in STEM studies.
       (2) Use of funds.--
       (A) In general.--Grants awarded under this section shall be 
     used for the research and development activities referred to 
     in paragraph (1), which may include--
       (i) developing partnerships with community colleges to 
     offer advanced STEM course work, including computer science, 
     to rural high school students;
       (ii) supporting research on effective STEM practices in 
     rural settings;
       (iii) implementing a school-wide STEM approach;
       (iv) improving the National Science Foundation's Advanced 
     Technology Education program's coordination and engagement 
     with rural communities;
       (v) collaborating with existing community partners and 
     networks, such as the cooperative research and extension 
     services of the Department of Agriculture and youth serving 
     organizations like 4-H, after school STEM programs, and 
     summer STEM programs, to leverage community resources and 
     develop place-based programming;
       (vi) connecting rural school districts and institutions of 
     higher education, to improve precollegiate STEM education and 
     engagement;
       (vii) supporting partnerships that offer hands-on inquiry-
     based science activities, including coding, and access to lab 
     resources for students studying STEM in grades Pre-K through 
     12 in a rural area;
       (viii) evaluating the role of broadband connectivity and 
     its associated impact on the STEM and technology literacy of 
     rural students;
       (ix) building capacity to support extracurricular STEM 
     programs in rural schools, including mentor-led engagement 
     programs, STEM programs held during nonschool hours, STEM 
     networks, makerspaces, coding activities, and competitions; 
     and
       (x) any other activity the Director determines will 
     accomplish the goals of this subsection.
       (c) Application.--An applicant seeking a grant under 
     subsection (a) or (b) shall submit an application at such 
     time, in such manner, and containing such information as the 
     Director may require. The application may include the 
     following:
       (1) A description of the target population to be served by 
     the research activity or activities for which such grant is 
     sought.
       (2) A description of the process for recruitment and 
     selection of students, educators, or schools from rural areas 
     to participate in such activity or activities.
       (3) A description of how such activity or activities may 
     inform efforts to promote the engagement and achievement of 
     rural students in grades PreK - 12 in STEM studies.
       (4) In the case of a proposal consisting of a partnership 
     or partnerships with one or more rural schools and one or 
     more researchers, a plan for establishing a sustained 
     partnership that is jointly developed and managed, draws from 
     the capacities of each partner, and is mutually beneficial.
       (d) Partnerships.--In awarding grants under subsection (a) 
     or (b), the Director shall--
       (1) encourage applicants which, for the purpose of the 
     activity or activities funded through the grant, include or 
     partner with a nonprofit organization or an institution of 
     higher education (or a consortium thereof) that has extensive 
     experience and expertise in increasing the participation of 
     rural students in grades Pre-K through 12 in STEM;
       (2) encourage applicants which, for the purpose of the 
     activity or activities funded through the grant, include or 
     partner with a consortium of rural schools or rural school 
     districts; and
       (3) encourage applications which, for the purpose of the 
     activity or activities funded through the grant, include 
     commitments from school principals and administrators to 
     making reforms and activities proposed by the applicant a 
     priority.
       (e) Evaluations.--All proposals for grants under 
     subsections (a) and (b) shall include an evaluation plan that 
     includes the use of outcome oriented measures to assess the 
     impact and efficacy of the grant. Each recipient of a grant 
     under this section shall include results from these 
     evaluative activities in annual and final projects.
       (f) Accountability and Dissemination.--
       (1) Evaluation required.--The Director shall evaluate the 
     portfolio of grants awarded under subsections (a) and (b). 
     Such evaluation shall--
       (A) use a common set of benchmarks and tools to assess the 
     results of research conducted under such grants and identify 
     best practices; and
       (B) to the extent practicable, integrate the findings of 
     research resulting from the activity or activities funded 
     through such grants with the findings of other research on 
     rural student's pursuit of degrees or careers in STEM.
       (2) Report on evaluations.--Not later than 180 days after 
     the completion of the evaluation under paragraph (1), the 
     Director shall submit to Congress and make widely available 
     to the public a report that includes--
       (A) the results of the evaluation; and
       (B) any recommendations for administrative and legislative 
     action that could optimize the effectiveness of the grants 
     awarded under this section.
       (g) Report by Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science 
     and Engineering.--
       (1) In general.--As part of the first report required by 
     section 36(e) of the Science and Engineering Equal 
     Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885c(e)) transmitted to 
     Congress after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
     Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering 
     shall include--
       (A) a description of past and present policies and 
     activities of the Foundation to encourage full participation 
     of students in rural communities in science, mathematics, 
     engineering, and computer science fields; and
       (B) an assessment of trends in participation of rural 
     students in grades Pre-K through 12 in Foundation activities, 
     and an assessment of the policies and activities of the 
     Foundation, along with proposals for new strategies or the 
     broadening of existing successful strategies towards 
     facilitating the goals of this Act.
       (2) Technical correction.--
       (A) In general.--Section 313 of the American Innovation and 
     Competitiveness Act (Public Law 114-329) is amended by 
     striking ``Section 204(e) of the National Science Foundation 
     Authorization Act of 1988'' and inserting ``Section 36(e) of 
     the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act''.
       (B) Applicability.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) 
     shall take effect as if included in the enactment of section 
     313 of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act 
     (Public Law 114-329).
       (h) Coordination.--In carrying out this section, the 
     Director shall, for purposes of enhancing program 
     effectiveness and avoiding duplication of activities, 
     consult, cooperate, and coordinate with the programs and 
     policies of other relevant Federal agencies.
       (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Director--

[[Page H4465]]

       (1) $8,000,000 to carry out the activities under subsection 
     (a) for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025; and
       (2) $12,000,000 to carry out the activities under 
     subsection (b) for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.

     SEC. 4. OPPORTUNITIES FOR ONLINE EDUCATION.

       (a) In General.--The Director shall, subject to 
     appropriations, award competitive grants to institutions of 
     higher education or nonprofit organizations (or a consortium 
     thereof, which may include a private sector partner) to 
     conduct research on online STEM education courses for rural 
     communities.
       (b) Research Areas.--The research areas eligible for 
     funding under this subsection shall include--
       (1) evaluating the learning and achievement of rural 
     students in grades Pre-K through 12 in STEM subjects;
       (2) understanding how computer-based and online 
     professional development courses and mentor experiences can 
     be integrated to meet the needs of educators of rural 
     students in grades Pre-K through 12;
       (3) combining computer-based and online STEM education and 
     training with apprenticeships, mentoring, or other applied 
     learning arrangements;
       (4) leveraging online programs to supplement STEM studies 
     for rural students that need physical and academic 
     accommodation; and
       (5) any other activity the Director determines will 
     accomplish the goals of this subsection.
       (c) Evaluations.--All proposals for grants under this 
     section shall include an evaluation plan that includes the 
     use of outcome oriented measures to assess the impact and 
     efficacy of the grant. Each recipient of a grant under this 
     section shall include results from these evaluative 
     activities in annual and final projects.
       (d) Accountability and Dissemination.--
       (1) Evaluation required.--The Director shall evaluate the 
     portfolio of grants awarded under this section. Such 
     evaluation shall--
       (A) use a common set of benchmarks and tools to assess the 
     results of research conducted under such grants and identify 
     best practices; and
       (B) to the extent practicable, integrate findings from 
     activities carried out pursuant to research conducted under 
     this section, with respect to the pursuit of careers and 
     degrees in STEM, with those activities carried our pursuant 
     to other research on serving rural students and communities.
       (2) Report on evaluations.--Not later than 180 days after 
     the completion of the evaluation under paragraph (1), the 
     Director shall submit to Congress and make widely available 
     to the public a report that includes--
       (A) the results of the evaluation; and
       (B) any recommendations for administrative and legislative 
     action that could optimize the effectiveness of the grants 
     awarded under this section.
       (e) Coordination.--In carrying out this section, the 
     Director shall, for purposes of enhancing program 
     effectiveness and avoiding duplication of activities, 
     consult, cooperate, and coordinate with the programs and 
     policies of other relevant Federal agencies.

     SEC. 5. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES EVALUATION.

       (a) Study.--Not later than 12 months after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Director shall enter into an 
     agreement with the National Academy of Sciences under which 
     the National Academy agrees to conduct an evaluation and 
     assessment that--
       (1) evaluates the quality and quantity of current Federal 
     programming and research directed at examining STEM education 
     for students in grades Pre-K through 12 and workforce 
     development in rural areas;
       (2) assesses the impact of the scarcity of broadband 
     connectivity in rural communities has on STEM and technical 
     literacy for students in grades Pre-K through 12 in rural 
     areas;
       (3) assesses the core research and data needed to 
     understand the challenges rural areas are facing in providing 
     quality STEM education and workforce development; and
       (4) makes recommendations for action at the Federal, State, 
     and local levels for improving STEM education for students in 
     grades Pre-K through 12 and workforce development in rural 
     areas.
       (b) Report to Director.--The agreement entered into under 
     subsection (a) shall require the National Academy of 
     Sciences, not later than 24 months after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, to submit to the Director a report on 
     the study conducted under such subsection, including the 
     National Academy's findings and recommendations.
       (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Director to carry out this section 
     $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2021.

     SEC. 6. GAO REVIEW.

       Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall 
     conduct a study on the engagement of rural populations in 
     Federal STEM programs and submit to Congress a report that 
     includes--
       (1) an assessment of how Federal STEM education programs 
     are serving rural populations;
       (2) a description of initiatives carried out by Federal 
     agencies that are targeted at supporting STEM education in 
     rural areas;
       (3) an assessment of what is known about the impact and 
     effectiveness of Federal investments in STEM education 
     programs that are targeted to rural areas; and
       (4) an assessment of challenges that state and Federal STEM 
     education programs face in reaching rural population centers.

     SEC. 7. CAPACITY BUILDING THROUGH EPSCOR.

       Section 517(f)(2) of the America COMPETES Reauthorization 
     Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 1862p-9(f)(2)) is amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'' at the end; 
     and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(C) to increase the capacity of rural communities to 
     provide quality STEM education and STEM workforce development 
     programming to students, and teachers; and''.

     SEC. 8. NIST ENGAGEMENT WITH RURAL COMMUNITIES.

       (a) MEP Outreach.--Section 25 of the National Institute of 
     Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (c)--
       (A) in paragraph (6), by striking ``community colleges and 
     area career and technical education schools'' and inserting 
     the following: ``secondary schools (as defined in section 
     8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
     (20 U.S.C. 7801)), community colleges, and area career and 
     technical education schools, including those in underserved 
     and rural communities,''; and
       (B) in paragraph (7)--
       (i) by striking ``and local colleges'' and inserting the 
     following: ``local high schools and local collseges, 
     including those in underserved and rural communities,''; and
       (ii) by inserting ``or other applied learning 
     opportunities'' after ``apprenticeships''; and
       (2) in subsection (d)(3) by striking ``, community 
     colleges, and area career and technical education schools,'' 
     and inserting the following: ``and local high schools, 
     community colleges, and area career and technical education 
     schools, including those in underserved and rural 
     communities,''.
       (b) Rural Connectivity Prize Competition.--
       (1) Prize competition.--Pursuant to section 24 of the 
     Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 
     3719), the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Under 
     Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology (referred 
     to in this subsection as the ``Secretary''), shall, subject 
     to appropriations, carry out a program to award prizes 
     competitively to stimulate research and development of 
     creative technologies in order to deploy affordable and 
     reliable broadband connectivity to underserved rural 
     communities.
       (2) Plan for deployment in rural communities.--Each 
     proposal submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include a 
     plan for deployment of the technology that is the subject of 
     such proposal in an underserved rural community.
       (3) Prize amount.--In carrying out the program under 
     paragraph (1), the Secretary may award not more than a total 
     of $5,000,000 to one or more winners of the prize 
     competition.
       (4) Report.--Not later than 60 days after the date on which 
     a prize is awarded under the prize competition, the Secretary 
     shall submit to the relevant committees of Congress a report 
     that describes the winning proposal of the prize competition.
       (5) Consultation.--In carrying out the program under 
     subsection (a), the Secretary may consult with the heads of 
     relevant departments and agencies of the Federal Government.

     SEC. 9. NITR-D BROADBAND WORKING GROUP.

       Title I of the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 (15 
     U.S.C. 5511 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:

     ``SEC. 103. BROADBAND RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT WORKING GROUP.

       ``(a) In General.--The Director shall establish a broadband 
     research and development working group to address national 
     research challenges and opportunities for improving broadband 
     access and adoption across the United States. 
       ``(b) Activities.--The working group shall identify and 
     coordinate key research priorities for addressing broadband 
     access and adoption, including--
       ``(1) promising research areas;
       ``(2) requirements for data collection and sharing;
       ``(3) opportunities for better alignment and coordination 
     across Federal agencies and external stakeholders; and
       ``(4) input on the development of new Federal policies and 
     programs to enhance data collection and research.
       ``(c) Coordination.--The working group shall coordinate, as 
     appropriate, with the Rural Broadband Integration Working 
     Group established under section 6214 of the Agriculture 
     Improvement Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-334) and the National 
     Institute of Food and Agriculture of the Department of 
     Agriculture.
       ``(d) Report.--The working group shall report to Congress 
     on their activities as part of the annual report submitted 
     under section 101(a)(2)(D).
       ``(e) Sunset.--The authority to carry out this section 
     shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date of 
     enactment of the Rural STEM Education Act.''.

     SEC. 10. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
     the National Science Foundation established under section 2 
     of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 
     1861).

[[Page H4466]]

       (2) Federal laboratory.--The term ``Federal laboratory'' 
     has the meaning given such term in section 4 of the 
     Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 
     3703).
       (3) Foundation.--The term ``Foundation'' means the National 
     Science Foundation established under section 2 of the 
     National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1861).
       (4) 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)).
       (5) STEM.--The term ``STEM'' has the meaning given the term 
     in section 2 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 
     2010 (42 U.S.C. 6621 note).
       (6) STEM education.--The term ``STEM education'' has the 
     meaning given the term in section 2 of the STEM Education Act 
     of 2015 (42 U.S.C. 6621 note).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Johnson) and the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous materials on H.R. 4979, the bill now under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4979, the Rural STEM 
Education Act.
  I thank Ranking Member Lucas and Representative McAdams for 
introducing this important bill, which I am proud to cosponsor.
  The COVID-19 crisis has revealed and exacerbated the many harmful 
inequities that persist in our society. Rural communities have not been 
spared.
  Broadband access and the so-called digital divide have long been a 
barrier to high quality STEM education for students in rural areas. 
STEM teachers in rural communities are stretched thin, often teaching 
multiple STEM subjects at multiple grade levels. While dedicated and 
hardworking, these teachers have limited resources and support, 
including training that is up-to-date and optimized for schools in a 
rural setting.
  Rural school districts also have limited access to library equipment 
to provide students with hands-on experiences and a glimpse of what it 
is like to actually do science.
  The sudden transition to remote education across the Nation that has 
occurred due to the pandemic has amplified these challenges for rural 
communities.
  School districts are getting creative. Some are setting up internet 
hotspots in the parking lot. Some students can download assignments and 
submit homework. Others are sending out paper packets for students 
without reliable transportation. While these stopgap measures are 
helpful, they are not enough.
  And students are falling behind. If we had invested in improving 
remote teaching and mentoring and improving broadband access before the 
pandemic hit, rural communities would have been better prepared to 
weather this crisis.
  The Rural STEM Education Act provides for research and development to 
improve access to evidence-based STEM education opportunities in rural 
schools and provide teachers with the support and tools they need to 
teach more effectively.
  I am particularly excited about the NIST rural connectivity prize 
competition and the Broadband Research and Development Working Group, 
which would advance research and technology development to expand 
broadband access across the country.
  The bill also provides for a much-needed assessment of Federal 
investments in rural STEM education through the National Academies of 
Science and the Government Accountability Office.
  This bill is a critical step forward to ensuring that more students 
have access to a high-quality STEM education and that we are equipped 
with the STEM workforce we need to face future challenges like this 
pandemic.
  Madam Speaker, I thank the ranking member of the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology, Mr. Lucas, for introducing this bill, 
and also for working collaboratively with me and the staff to ensure it 
was a bipartisan effort.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1245

  Mr. LUCAS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4979, the Rural STEM 
Education Act. I am pleased to be leading this important bipartisan 
bill and would like to thank Congressman McAdams, Congressman Baird, 
Congresswoman Johnson, and the other 43 Members of Congress who 
cosponsored this bill for their support.
  Now more than ever, America's prosperity and security depend on an 
effective, inclusive science, technology, engineering, math, and 
computer science workforce, or STEM.
  Nationally, 80 percent of the fastest growing occupations depend upon 
mastery of STEM skills. The number of STEM jobs is growing three times 
faster than non-STEM jobs. Over the next decade, the STEM shortage is 
anticipated to reach 1 million positions, according to the Bureau of 
Labor Statistics.
  To succeed in this job market, our students need to be equipped with 
solid skills in science and engineering.
  Meeting this demand starts in the classroom. With STEM education 
becoming so fundamental to success in any industry, finding ways to 
improve the quality of STEM learning everywhere is of critical 
importance.
  Over 9 million students in the United States, nearly 20 percent of 
the K-12 population, attend rural schools. In Oklahoma, that number is 
even higher. One-third of our students attend rural schools.
  These students face a number of barriers to accessing high-quality 
STEM learning, including a shortage of trained science and math 
teachers, single teachers teaching multiple grade levels, a lack of 
access to advanced STEM courses, and few local university and industry 
partners.
  Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, we have seen even 
further proof that rural students are at a disadvantage, given the 
unreliability or nonexistent broadband access many must deal with while 
currently distance learning.
  The Rural STEM Education Act supports research and development 
activities to improve our understanding of the challenges rural 
communities are facing in providing and sustaining quality STEM 
education programs and take steps to address them.
  H.R. 4979 helps develop best practices for accessing and using 
computer-based and online STEM education courses. It will help schools 
combine online STEM education with hands-on training and 
apprenticeships, to give students both theoretical and practical 
understanding of science and math skills.
  This bill will also take steps to address one of the great key 
obstacles to rural STEM education: reduced connectivity and, in 
particular, the lack of broadband access. Of the 21 million Americans 
who lack access to broadband, the majority live in rural areas. With 
the increase in online learning, we need to prioritize connectivity for 
all students.
  This bill directs the National Institutes of Standards and Technology 
to establish a prize competition to stimulate innovations in 
technologies to deploy broadband connectivity to underserved rural 
communities.
  It also establishes a working group to set key research priorities 
for improving broadband access so rural communities can enjoy the same 
connectedness as the rest of the country.
  This bill includes a number of provisions to help provide rural 
educators with the tools they need to be successful, both in the 
classroom and online.
  It supports opportunities for rural educators to refresh and enhance 
their own STEM knowledge, such as training in computer science and 
research opportunities at Federal laboratories and universities. These 
experiences provide rural educators with high-quality STEM skills and 
practices they can take back to their classrooms and pass on to their 
students.
  Lastly, the major focus of the bill is broadening the participation 
of rural

[[Page H4467]]

students in STEM. One way we can do this is by emphasizing place-based 
learning, which gives students direct access to the STEM knowledge in 
their communities and local environments.
  Place-based learning connects students to the science that is right 
outside their doors, whether it is studying animal science with FFA, 
learning about local ecosystems out on the prairies or in forests, or 
developing the technological skills required to operate increasingly 
complex and computerized farm equipment.
  That direct experience engages students and helps them understand 
that STEM skills matter to everyone, not just scientists in white lab 
coats.
  Taken together, the measures in this bill will dramatically improve 
rural STEM education. I believe rural areas represent one of the 
greatest yet most underutilized opportunities for talented students to 
enhance the United States' future STEM workforce.
  I am pleased this bill has gained the endorsement of the STEM 
Education Coalition, the Afterschool Alliance, Battelle and STEM-X, 
National Science Teaching Association, American Chemical Society, 
American Geophysical Union, Microsoft, Girl Scouts of the USA, National 
FFA Organization, and Association of Public and Land-grant 
Universities.
  I again would like to thank Chairwoman Johnson, Representative 
McAdams, Representative Baird, and their staff for working with me on 
this bill.
  I strongly encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' to better STEM 
education for America's rural students, and I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the 
gentleman from Utah (Mr. McAdams).
  Mr. McADAMS. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of my bipartisan bill 
with Representative Lucas, the Rural STEM Education Act.
  More than 9 million students nationwide attend a rural school. And in 
my home State of Utah, 15 percent of our students live in rural 
communities.
  Unfortunately, there are many barriers to receiving quality STEM 
education for rural community students. There is a shortage of math and 
science teachers and a high rate of teacher turnover. Plus, access 
to high-speed and reliable internet is more limited in these areas.

  Today, as we live through this pandemic, we know how important 
reliable internet is for kids and teachers. This bill would provide 
effective online teaching tools that educators can use in our rural 
areas.
  It will also increase teacher recruitment and improve internet 
access. It will task several government agencies to work together to 
advance research and provide teachers with what they need to 
effectively teach STEM to more students in rural communities.
  When bright young minds have the opportunity to explore science, 
technology, engineering, and math, you never know where their 
intelligence and their curiosity might lead them or what new 
discoveries we will be able to trace back to the education they 
received starting in their hometown.
  I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation, and I 
thank my friend from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas) for championing this.
  Mr. LUCAS. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Baird).
  Mr. BAIRD. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4979, the 
Rural STEM Education Act. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of 
this legislation.
  As one of only two Members of Congress with a Ph.D. in science, I 
understand the importance of teaching science, technology, engineering, 
mathematics, and computer science at an early age.
  Quality STEM education is essential to train the next generation of 
American minds. Fostering children's natural curiosity is critical to 
expanding their interest in STEM.
  More than 9 million students in the United States attend rural 
schools, so investing in rural areas represents one of the most 
significant opportunities for STEM education.
  H.R. 4979 will support research and development to identify the 
barriers rural students face in accessing high-quality STEM education, 
and it will develop innovative solutions to improve rural students' 
participation and advancement in the STEM fields.
  In a time when our rural students are facing more barriers than ever 
before because of COVID, this bill can play an important role in 
helping these students remain in the STEM pipeline.
  With the shift to online learning in recent months, it is more 
important than ever that we invest in the best practices and the 
scalability of online STEM education courses for our rural communities.
  In addition to examining opportunities for online education, this 
legislation also promotes the importance of place-based learning. 
Place-based learning is a tremendous tool to broaden participation by 
rural students in STEM.
  It uses local heritage, geography, and opportunities to study STEM. 
By connecting them with the science that is right outside their front 
door, rural students will have hands-on learning opportunities, even 
while the courses remain online.
  I would be remiss if I did not mention one of the greatest barriers 
our rural students face, which is broadband access. Over 20 million 
Americans lack access to broadband, and the majority live in these 
rural areas. This bill prioritizes connectivity for all students and 
supports technologies to deploy broadband to these underserved rural 
areas.
  We must also recognize the key role educators play, especially rural 
teachers who teach multiple grade levels within a STEM discipline. H.R. 
4979 provides rural STEM educators with resources and experiences that 
they can bring back to the classroom and use with their students.
  I would like to thank Ranking Member Lucas for his leadership on this 
bill. By improving access to STEM opportunities in rural schools, the 
Rural STEM Education Act will ensure that communities in less populated 
areas are not overlooked and that the intellectual power of our next 
generation continues to grow.
  I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill.
  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LUCAS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might 
consume.
  In closing, I again want to thank Chairwoman Johnson, Representative 
McAdams, Representative Baird, and their staff for working with me on 
this bill.
  I am grateful to my colleagues for helping me move this forward in a 
bipartisan way. I want rural students to have every opportunity to 
compete and contribute STEM skills both to their communities and to the 
national workforce.
  The Rural STEM Education Act gives teachers better tools to teach 
science and math, leverages local resources to engage students in key 
subjects, and addresses the lack of broadband access in rural 
communities.
  Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my 
time.
  I would like to take a moment again to thank the gentleman from 
Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas) for working with the members of this committee on 
this legislation and thank Mr. McAdams and Dr. Baird.
  It is my hope that we can pass this bill out of the House today and, 
hopefully, work with our colleagues in the Senate to get this 
bipartisan bill, as well as many others, of course, we have sent over 
there passed into law.
  This bill is needed more now than it was when we started out, so I 
would hope that the Senate will see the need to pass this bill as soon 
as possible.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Johnson) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 4979, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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