Supporting Minority STEM Student to Career Act

Supporting Minority STEM Student to Career Act

This bill authorizes minority institutions to use Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program funds to (1) provide direct financial assistance to students who are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; and (2) improve institutional capacity to provide students with certain services, such as guidance counseling, academic advising, work-study opportunities, and peer mentorship.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5784 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5784

   To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to improve programs for 
       minority students in STEM fields, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 6, 2020

 Ms. Fudge (for herself and Mr. Turner) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to improve programs for 
       minority students in STEM fields, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Supporting Minority STEM Student to 
Career Act''.

SEC. 2. MINORITY SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.

    (a) Required Criteria.--Section 352(c) of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067b(c)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (9), by striking ``and'';
            (2) in paragraph (10), by striking the period and inserting 
        ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding the following at the end:
            ``(11) the amount of non-Federal funds a grant recipient 
        will use to support the activities to be funded by the 
        grant.''.
    (b) Authorized Use of Funds.--Section 353(b) of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067c(b)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``or'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period and 
                inserting a semicolon; and
                    (C) by adding the following at the end:
            ``(C) providing direct financial assistance to students who 
        are underrepresented in STEM; or
            ``(D) improving institutional capacity to provide--
                    ``(i) guidance counseling and academic advising;
                    ``(ii) work-study opportunities that are aligned to 
                a student's chosen field of study;
                    ``(iii) faculty, peer, and near-peer mentorship;
                    ``(iv) summer bridge programs;
                    ``(v) undergraduate research opportunities;
                    ``(vi) work-based learning opportunities aligned 
                with a student's chosen field of study; or
                    ``(vii) individualized academic support and 
                tutoring.''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``or'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period and 
                inserting ``; or''; and
                    (C) by adding the following at the end:
            ``(E) any of the activities described in subparagraphs (A) 
        through (D) of paragraph (1).''.
    (c) Cross Program and Cross Agency Cooperation.--Section 363 of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067i) is amended to read as 
follows:

``SEC. 363. CROSS PROGRAM AND CROSS AGENCY COOPERATION.

    ``(a) In General.--The Minority Science and Engineering Improvement 
Programs shall cooperate and consult with other programs within the 
Department and within Federal, State, and private agencies which carry 
out programs to improve the quality of science, mathematics, and 
engineering education.
    ``(b) Report.--Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment 
of the Supporting Minority STEM Student to Career Act, the Secretary 
shall, in consultation with all Federal agencies that have STEM 
education activities, prepare and submit to the authorizing committees 
a coordination strategy report on expanding access and opportunity for 
postsecondary students who are underrepresented in science and 
engineering that--
            ``(1) outlines efforts to coordinate Federal grant programs 
        for these populations to more effectively achieve the Federal 
        Government's objective to diversify the STEM fields; and
            ``(2) outlines strategies to align Federal Government 
        research opportunities, internships, and deferred hiring 
        programs from minority institutions receiving a grant under 
        this part for students who are underrepresented in science and 
        engineering.''.
    (d) Definitions.--Section 365 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1067k) is amended--
            (1) by striking paragraphs (3) and (4); and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(10) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        `institution of higher education' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 101.
            ``(11) Minority institution.--The term `minority 
        institution' means an institution described in section 371(a).
            ``(12) STEM.--The term `STEM' means the fields of science, 
        technology, engineering, and mathematics as described in 
        section 356(a).''.
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