[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 85 (Monday, May 17, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H2387-H2390]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   RURAL STEM EDUCATION RESEARCH ACT

  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 210) to coordinate Federal research and development efforts 
focused on STEM education and workforce development in rural areas, 
including the development and application of new technologies to 
support and improve rural STEM education, and for other purposes, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 210

       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 
     Research 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 science learning in grades Pre-K 
     through 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. 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 colleges, 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. 4. 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. 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 2022.

     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.

[[Page H2388]]

  


     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. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION RURAL STEM RESEARCH 
                   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 Pre-K through 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--
       (1) $8,000,000 to carry out the activities under subsection 
     (a) for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026; and

[[Page H2389]]

       (2) $12,000,000 to carry out the activities under 
     subsection (b) for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.

     SEC. 9. RESEARCHING 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. 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).
       (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 
Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) and the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Oregon.


                             General Leave

  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous material on H.R. 210, the bill now under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Oregon?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 210, the Rural STEM Education 
Research Act. I thank Ranking Member Lucas for introducing this 
important bill.
  Every State in the country is filled with students who have an 
incredible curiosity for STEM and the potential to make important 
contributions in these fields. But too often, students are left behind 
and are unable to fulfill their vast potential simply because of where 
they live.
  Students in rural areas have long faced obstacles to receiving a 
high-quality STEM education. Lack of broadband access, for example, has 
long been a barrier.
  Schools in rural communities often struggle to access the equipment 
and facilities needed to provide students with hands-on STEM 
experiences. Research shows that hands-on experiences help inspire 
scientific curiosity and a love of STEM in students.
  Teachers are trying their best, but they have limited resources and 
support. To make matters worse, the COVID-19 pandemic and the 
transition to remote learning have further exacerbated these 
inequalities.
  Students and teachers in rural communities have worked hard to adapt, 
but they need help. We have an opportunity not just to recover from 
what was lost during the pandemic but to ensure a better STEM education 
future for rural students.
  The Rural STEM Education Act provides for research and development to 
increase access to STEM education opportunities in rural schools and to 
provide teachers with the resources they need to teach more 
effectively.
  The bill also directs NIST to develop a prize competition to advance 
research and development in support of expanded broadband access.
  This bill further provides for assessments of Federal investments in 
rural STEM education to be conducted by the National Academies and the 
Government Accountability Office.
  This bill is an important step toward improving STEM education in 
rural communities across America and will help build a 21st century 
STEM workforce that will help the U.S. remain a global leader in 
science and technology.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support H.R. 210, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 210, the Rural STEM 
Education Research Act, a bill that passed this House with resounding 
bipartisan support in the 116th Congress, and I hope it will do so 
again today.
  I am pleased to be leading this important bill, and I thank 
Chairwoman Johnson for her support.
  Now more than ever, America's prosperity and security depend on an 
effective and 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, and 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.
  Over 9 million students in the United States, nearly 20 percent of 
the total 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, 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 further 
proof that rural students are at a disadvantage, given the 
unreliability or nonexistent broadband access many struggle with while 
distance learning.
  The Rural STEM Education Research Act supports research and 
development activities to improve our understanding of the challenges 
rural communities are facing, and it takes steps to address those 
challenges in providing and sustaining quality STEM education programs.

[[Page H2390]]

  H.R. 210 helps develop better 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 math and science skills.
  The bill will also take steps to address one of the key obstacles to 
rural STEM education, a 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 Institute 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 
enhance their own STEM education, such as training in computer science 
or research opportunities at Federal labs and universities. These 
experiences will provide rural educators with high-quality STEM skills 
they can take back to the classrooms and pass on to their students.

  Lastly, the major focus of this bill is broadening the participation 
of rural students in STEM. One way we can do this is by emphasizing 
place-based learning, which gives students direct access to the STEM 
knowledge present in their communities and local environment.
  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 and 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 a white lab coat.
  Taken together, the measures in this bill will make great strides to 
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 that this bill has been endorsed by a number of 
stakeholder groups: STEM Education Coalition, Afterschool Alliance, 
Battelle and STEM-X, National Science Teaching Association, American 
Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, American Chemical 
Society, American Geophysical Union, Human Factors and Ergonomics 
Society, Association of American Universities, Microsoft, Girl Scouts 
of the USA, National FFA Organization, and Association of Public and 
Land-grant Universities.
  I again thank Chairwoman Johnson and her staff for working with me on 
this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, 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. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Science, Space, and 
Technology Committee and the Committee on Education and Labor, I want 
to thank Mr. Lucas for mentioning not only broadband but also place-
based learning. I represent several rural school districts, and I 
appreciate this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Meijer).
  Mr. MEIJER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 210, the 
Rural STEM Education Research Act.
  More than 9 million students in the U.S., nearly 20 percent of the K-
12 population, attend rural schools. 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 urban 
and suburban schools.
  Rural areas, including those in the Third District of Michigan, 
represent one of the greatest, yet underutilized, chances for STEM 
education to impact the workforce. It is especially important that we 
correct this in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic when we are facing 
serious research and development labor market shortages.
  H.R. 210 would increase STEM education opportunities for rural 
communities, ensuring the option to learn is not dependent on your ZIP 
Code. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from 
Iowa (Mr. Feenstra).
  Mr. FEENSTRA. Mr. Speaker, in this era of scientific and 
technological innovation, it has never been more important to ensure 
our students have access to quality STEM education programs, especially 
in rural communities.
  Implementing high-speed, reliable broadband goes hand in hand with 
this goal.
  This is why I urge my colleagues to support the Rural STEM Education 
Research Act. Both STEM education and quality broadband access are 
critical to the future success and revitalization of rural America.

                              {time}  1630

  I am hopeful that this legislation will break down barriers rural 
Iowans face in receiving STEM education that is both forward-thinking 
and long-lasting for our rural communities. This bill will also help us 
identify the technological and logistical challenges we still must 
overcome to provide broadband to every last acre of land.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma, Ranking Member 
Lucas, for this outstanding bill and important piece of legislation.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself 
such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I, once again, thank Chairwoman Johnson for her support 
of this legislation. Whether you live in Dallas, Texas, or Cheyenne, 
Oklahoma, every student should have the opportunity to gain STEM skills 
and to compete for the jobs of the future.
  The Rural STEM Education Research 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. This important legislation passed the House with strong 
bipartisan support last Congress. I hope it will do so again today.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill today, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I once again thank Ranking Member Lucas 
for his work on this legislation. I thank Chairwoman Johnson for 
supporting it, and I urge its adoption.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 210, as amended.
  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. ROSENDALE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

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