[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 26 (Thursday, February 5, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S511]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. COLLINS (for herself and Ms. Rosen):
  S. 3784. A bill to amend the Student Support and Academic Enrichment 
Grant program to promote career awareness in accounting as part of a 
well-rounded STEM educational experience; to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Accounting 
STEM Pursuit Act, which would help address workforce shortages in the 
accounting profession by recognizing accounting as a STEM education 
subject and adding accounting education programs as an allowable use of 
K through 12 Federal grant funding. I want to thank Senator Rosen for 
coleading this bill with me.
  Accountants play a key role in today's economy. They serve as trusted 
advisers for companies large and small, assist in measuring business 
performance, help individuals and businesses file their taxes in an 
accurate and timely manner, assist government entities with their 
finances, and even investigate instances of financial fraud. Yet the 
United States is facing a shortage of accountants willing and able to 
fill these important economic roles. In Maine, for example, 
municipalities have struggled to find accountants to conduct their 
annual audits.
  Recent trends suggest this shortage will continue. According to the 
Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 124,000 job openings for accountants 
and auditors are projected each year, on average, over the next decade. 
At the same time, fewer students are pursuing accounting degrees than 
in prior years.
  The Accounting STEM Pursuit Act seeks to improve the accounting 
pipeline by expanding K through 12 students' exposure to accounting 
programs. As with other areas of STEM education, this bill would 
qualify accounting instruction for Federal funds. This recognition 
aligns with the increasing need for accounting professionals to have 
high-level math and technology skills, including the ability to analyze 
big data, ensure data security, and manage cyber security risk.
  In particular, this bill would allow States and school districts to 
use a portion of their Federal student support and academic enrichment 
grant funding to support accounting education, including accounting 
career awareness. The Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant 
Program was created as part of the Every Student Succeeds Act and aims 
to help States and school districts offer a well-rounded educational 
experience to all students. The Accounting STEM Pursuit Act would also 
allow school districts to use this flexible grant to strengthen their 
accounting curricula.
  Businesses and individuals rely on accountants to help them develop 
and reach their financial goals. The Accounting STEM Pursuit Act would 
help address the shortage of accountants by promoting accounting 
education and improving the pipeline of future accountants. I encourage 
my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill.
                                 ______