,,ii #aaeth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #adba ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,june #bb1 #bjag,ms4 ,hirono 7for herself1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,mr4 ,markey1 ,mrs4 ,shaheen1 ,mrs4 ,gillibrand1 ,ms4 ,cantwell1 ,mr4 ,merkley1 and ,mr4 ,schatz7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to support educational entities in fully implementing title ,,ix and reducing and preventing sex discrimination in all areas of education4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,patsy ,t4 ,mink ,gender ,equity in ,education ,act of #bjag4 #b4 ,findings ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,title ,,ix of the ,education ,amendments of #aigb 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #afha et seq47 7in this ,act referred to as title ,,ix7 and the implementing regulations of title ,,ix prohibit sex discrimination in federally funded education programs and activities4 7#b7 ,although title ,,ix ensures equal opportunities to participate in athletics1 female participation rates1 especially for girls of color1 lag far behind male participation rates4 ,the ,national ,women's ,law ,center reports that only #fd percent of ,black girls1 #fd percent of ,hispanic girls1 and #ec percent of ,asian-,american girls play sports1 compared to #gf percent of ,caucasian girls4 ,female student athletes have been found to have higher levels of self-esteem and to be more likely to graduate from high school than female students who do not play sports4 ,although the availability of athletic scholarships facilitates access to higher education1 many schools fail to award proportional athletic financial aid to females1 which can affect the long-term employment outcomes and economic security of women4 7#c7 ,although title ,,ix ensures gender equity in career and technical education1 women are severely underrepresented in nontraditional fields4 ,the ,american ,association of ,university ,women reports that females make up more than #gj percent of students enrolled in classes that prepare students for low-paying and historically female jobs1 such as caregivers and cosmetologists and only #bj percent of students enrolled in classes that prepare students for high-paying and historically male jobs1 such as energy technicians and electricians4 7#d7 ,although title ,,ix ensures gender equity in the fields of science1 technology1 engineering1 and mathematics 7in this section referred to as ,,stem7 education1 women are disproportionately lost at nearly every stage of the ,,stem pipeline4 ,the ,national ,student ,clearinghouse reports that the percentage of women earning ,,stem degrees has decreased over the past decade1 with women earning #ai percent of engineering bachelor's degrees1 #ah percent of computing bachelor's degrees1 #db percent of mathematics bachelor's degrees1 and #ci percent of physical science bachelor's degrees4 ,in #bjac1 women of color earned only #f percent of computing bachelor's degrees and #c percent of engineering bachelor's degrees4 7#e7 ,although title ,,ix prohibits sex discrimination in employment in federally funded education programs1 women comprise only #cg4e percent of tenured faculty and #bb percent of university presidents1 and female representation in ,,stem drops at every faculty and leadership level4 ,the ,national ,science ,foundation reports that women hold only #be percent of all tenured and tenure-track positions and #ag percent of full professor positions in ,,stem fields1 ,black and ,hispanic women together hold only #d4d percent of all tenured and tenure-track positions and #a4e percent of full professor positions in ,,stem fields1 and ,asian-,american women hold only #f4a percent of all tenured and tenure-track positions and #a4i percent of full professor positions in ,,stem fields4 7#f7 ,although title ,,ix protects against sexual and sex-based harassment and violence1 more than #ej percent of girls in grades #g through #ab experience sexual harassment each year and approximately #aj percent of high school students experience dating violence each year4 ,a #bjac study by the ,gay ,lesbian ,straight ,education ,network reports that #ee percent of lesbian1 gay1 bisexual1 and transgender youth report feeling unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation and #ch percent report feeling unsafe because of their gender expression4 ,research has shown that students who experience harassment at school are more likely to experience depression and anxiety1 to engage in unhealthy and antisocial behaviors1 and to have more unexcused absences from school4 7#g7 ,although title ,,ix guarantees access to medical leave1 the availability of accommodations for pregnancy-related conditions1 and the availability of enrollment in school-related activities for pregnant and parenting students1 numerous studies have found that pregnancy and parenting are the leading reasons that females drop out of high school4 ,a #bjab report from the ,national ,women's ,law ,center shows that only #ea percent of teenage mothers earn a high school diploma by the age of #bb1 compared with #hi percent of women who do not have a child during their teenage years1 limiting continuing opportunities for education and employment4 7#h7 ,although title ,,ix protects against discrimination based on stereotypes of actual or perceived sex1 gender1 gender identity1 or sexual orientation1 many people carry implicit or unconscious biases that can unintentionally influence attitudes1 beliefs1 behaviors1 and decisionmaking processes4 ,research has shown that unconscious biases can impact classroom environments1 teaching methods1 student evaluations1 disciplinary practices1 and career and counseling guidance1 particularly for students who are pursuing nontraditional fields4 #c4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,,esea definitions ,the terms elementary school1 institution of higher education1 local educational agency1 secondary school1 and ,state educational agency have the meanings given those terms in section #haja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja74 7#b7 ,compound discrimination ,the term compound discrimination means discrimination based on sex and one or more other characteristic1 including race1 ethnicity1 national origin1 disability status1 religion1 or age4 7#c7 ,director ,the term ,director means the ,director of the ,officer for ,gender ,equity established under section #e7;a74 7#d7 ,educational entity ,the term educational entity means any of the following entities that receive ,federal funds3 7,a7 ,a ,state educational agency4 7,b7 ,a local educational agency4 7,c7 ,an institution of higher education4 7,d7 ,an elementary school or secondary school4 7#e7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,education4 7#f7 ,sex discrimination ,the term sex discrimination means bias1 discrimination1 harassment1 or violence based on3 7,a7 ,actual or perceived sex1 sexual orientation1 gender1 or gender identity4 7,b7 ,pregnancy1 childbirth1 or a related medical condition4 7,c7 ,a stereotype associated with any characteristic described in subparagraphs 7,a7 or 7,b74 7#g7 ,title ix coordinator ,the term title ,,ix coordinator means a responsible employee1 as described in section #ajf4h7;a7 of title #cd1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 designated to coordinate efforts under title ,,ix of the ,education ,amendments of #aigb 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #afha et seq474 #d4 ,purposes ,the purposes of this ,act are to-- 7#a7 promote gender equity in education in the ,united ,states2 7#b7 support educational entities so that such entities have the support to fully implement title ,,ix2 7#c7 provide title ,,ix coordinators with training1 technical assistance1 and support to fully carry out their roles and responsibilities2 7#d7 increase general awareness about the rights and obligations of individuals and entities under title ,,ix2 7#e7 identify1 implement1 and disseminate best practices for reducing and preventing sex discrimination in all areas of education2 7#f7 promote educational environments that are safe and free of sexual and sex-based bullying1 harassment1 and violence2 and 7#g7 promote equity in education for students who face compound discrimination4 #e4 ,establishment of an ,office for ,gender ,equity 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall establish an ,office for ,gender ,equity4 ,the ,director of the ,office for ,gender ,equity shall be the ,special ,assistant for ,gender ,equity1 as authorized under section #bjb7;b77#c7 of the ,department of ,education ,organization ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #cdab7;b77#c774 ,the ,director of the ,office for ,gender ,equity shall report directly to the ,secretary4 7b7 ,duties ,the ,office for ,gender ,equity shall be responsible for the following3 7#a7 ,supporting educational entities in the full implementation of title ,,ix4 7#b7 ,providing title ,,ix coordinators with training1 technical assistance1 and support to fully carry out their roles and responsibilities4 7#c7 ,providing grants to implement programs and activities that are focused on reducing and preventing sex discrimination in all areas of education4 7#d7 ,identifying and disseminating best practices for reducing and preventing sex discrimination in all areas of education4 7#e7 ,maintaining an ,office of ,gender ,equity resource center website to disseminate best practices in achieving gender equity4 7#f7 ,performing any other activity consistent with achieving the purposes of this ,act4 7c7 ,coordination ,to carry out the purposes of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall coordinate with other relevant ,federal offices and agencies1 including-- 7#a7 the ,office for ,civil ,rights of the ,department of ,education2 7#b7 the ,institute of ,education ,sciences2 7#c7 the ,white ,house ,council on ,women and ,girls2 7#d7 the ,women's ,bureau of the ,department of ,labor2 7#e7 the ,office on ,women's ,health of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services2 7#f7 the ,civil ,rights ,division of the ,department of ,justice2 7#g7 the ,office on ,violence ,against ,women of the ,department of ,justice2 7#h7 the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention2 7#i7 the ,office of ,safe and ,healthy ,students of the ,department of ,education2 and 7#aj7 other entities determined relevant for carrying out the purposes of this ,act4 #f4 ,support for title ix coordinators 7a7 ,in general ,the ,director shall provide coordination1 training1 technical assistance1 and support for title ,,ix coordinators to ensure that educational entities are able to fully implement title ,,ix and reduce and prevent sex discrimination in all areas of education4 7b7 ,title ,,ix coordinator training 7#a7 ,in general ,not less than once a year1 the ,director shall conduct a training for all title ,,ix coordinators4 ,the training may be conducted in partnership with a national organization with relevant expertise1 and may be completed online or in person4 7#b7 ,contents of training ,the training described in paragraph 7#a7 shall include the following information3 7,a7 ,the role and responsibility of title ,,ix coordinators4 7,b7 ,best practices for increasing awareness about rights and obligations under title ,,ix4 7,c7 ,best practices for investigating and responding to claims of violations of title ,,ix4 7,d7 ,best practices for identifying and preventing implicit and explicit sex discrimination in all areas of education1 including-- 7i7 recruitment and admissions2 7ii7 teaching practices1 textbooks1 and curricula2 7iii7 campus safety and security2 7iv7 financial assistance2 7v7 access to facilities1 resources1 and housing2 7vi7 access to course offerings2 7vii7 student health services and insurance benefits2 7viii7 counseling and career guidance2 7ix7 athletics2 7x7 discipline policies2 7xi7 employment2 and 7xii7 other areas that the ,director determines are relevant for such purposes4 7#c7 ,application of ,training 7,a7 ,in ,general ,the ,director shall take steps to ensure that the trainings described in paragraph 7#a7-- 7i7 are adapted1 as necessary1 to address issues of sex discrimination at all levels of education2 7ii7 are updated with the latest evidence-based best practices2 and 7iii7 address recent trends in sex discrimination4 7,b7 ,attention to compound discrimination ,the ,director shall take steps to ensure that such trainings include attention to students who face compound discrimination4 7,c7 ,evaluation ,the ,director shall-- 7i7 develop and conduct pre- and post-training evaluations to assess the effectiveness of such trainings in improving the knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of title ,,ix coordinators2 and 7ii7 use such evaluations to update the title ,,ix coordinator trainings annually4 7c7 ,handbook for conducting title ,,ix compliance self-,evaluations ,the ,director shall develop a handbook for conducting self-evaluations of compliance with title ,,ix in all areas of education1 as described in subsection 7b77#b77;,d74 7d7 ,assessment of title ,,ix coordinator support ,the ,director shall collect relevant data and statistics on all title ,,ix coordinators1 including salary information1 budgets1 and primary roles1 in order to make recommendations for improving title ,,ix coordinator support4 7e7 ,dissemination ,the ,director shall ensure that the workplace contact information of all title ,,ix coordinators and any training materials or information developed under this section are made available on the ,office of ,gender ,equity resource center website1 described in section #e7;b77#e74 #g4 ,support for local implementation 7a7 ,grants authorized 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary1 acting through the ,director1 is authorized to award grants to eligible entities to support such eligible entities in fully implementing title ,,ix and reducing and preventing sex discrimination in all areas of education4 7#b7 ,eligible ,entity ,in this section1 the term eligible entity means-- 7,a7 a ,state educational agency2 7,b7 a local educational agency2 7,c7 an institution of higher education2 7,d7 an elementary school or secondary school2 or 7,e7 a partnership consisting of-- 7i7 an entity described in subparagraphs 7,a7 through 7,d72 and 7ii7 a national organization with relevant expertise1 or another entity that the ,secretary determines has relevant expertise4 7b7 ,use of funds ,an eligible entity receiving a grant shall use such funds to carry out programs and activities designed to fully implement title ,,ix and prevent and reduce sex discrimination1 including programs and activities that-- 7#a7 increase awareness of and counteract sex stereotypes1 biases1 and discrimination2 7#b7 include trainings for students1 teachers1 faculty1 and all personnel to learn about best practices for reducing and preventing sex discrimination in all areas of education2 7#c7 increase access to campus resources1 facilities1 and course offerings2 7#d7 support title ,,ix coordinators in performing outreach1 advocacy1 and education about title ,,ix and reducing and preventing sex discrimination2 7#e7 are aimed at identifying patterns or systemic problems in compliance with title ,,ix2 7#f7 strengthen prevention education and awareness programs regarding sexual and sex-based harassment and violence2 7#g7 conduct and analyze campus climate and victimization surveys2 7#h7 include institutional assessment activities to identify areas and causes of gender inequities2 7#i7 make efforts to improve progress on gender equity indicators as described in subsection 7c77#b77;,a72 and 7#aj7 make efforts to improve accuracy in measurement1 data collection1 and reporting of gender equity indicators as described in subsection 7c77#b77;,a74 7c7 ,applications 7#a7 ,in general ,an eligible entity desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application to the ,secretary at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,secretary may reasonably require4 7#b7 ,contents of application ,each application submitted by an eligible entity under this section shall include the following3 7,a7 ,a description of locally defined and documented gender equity needs and priorities1 which may include any of the following indicators3 7i7 ,academic indicators1 including performance on ,state assessments1 enrollment1 admission1 attrition1 time to completion1 and graduation rates4 7ii7 ,civil rights data1 including statistics on bullying1 harassment1 violence1 discipline1 and expulsion4 7iii7 ,campus climate and victimization data4 7iv7 ,employment data4 7v7 ,attendance and absenteeism data4 7vi7 ,evidence of burden on title ,,ix coordinators1 including coordinator to student ratio and competing responsibilities4 7vii7 ,other documentation of need that the ,secretary determines is relevant4 7,b7 ,a description of the evidence that will serve as the basis for the activities that the eligible entity proposes to carry out using grant funds under this section4 7,c7 ,a description of the activities that the eligible entity proposes to carry out using grant funds under this section4 7,d7 ,a description of how the proposed activities will be adapted1 as necessary1 to meet the needs of students who face compound discrimination4 7,e7 ,a description of how the proposed activities will help the eligible entity fully implement title ,,ix4 7,f7 ,a description of a plan for how the proposed activities under this section will continue with local support following completion of the grant period and termination of ,federal funding4 7,g7 ,a description of how the proposed activities are a significant component of a comprehensive plan for gender equity in education and full implementation of title ,,ix4 7d7 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this section shall be construed as prohibiting persons of any sex or gender from participating in any of the programs or activities funded under this section4 7e7 ,award ,basis 7#a7 ,merit review ,grants shall be awarded under this section on a competitive basis4 7#b7 ,priorities 7,a7 ,in ,general ,the ,secretary shall establish criteria for determining which eligible entities shall have priority in receiving a grant under this section4 7,b7 ,level of priority ,the criteria described in subparagraph 7,a7 may include a consideration of the extent to which the application demonstrates that the eligible entity-- 7i7 has demonstrated a high need for gender equity assistance based on indicators described in subsection 7c77#b77;,a7 and a high commitment to addressing these issues2 7ii7 will address the needs of students who face compound discrimination2 7iii7 has not previously received assistance under this section2 7iv7 will address relevant issues of national significance through solutions that can be replicated2 7v7 will implement an institutional change strategy with a long-term impact that will continue to be a central activity of the eligible entity upon termination of the grant2 and 7vi7 will serve a high percentage of low-income students4 7,c7 ,special rule ,to the extent practicable1 the ,secretary shall ensure that grants awarded under this section1 for each fiscal year1 address-- 7i7 all levels of education1 including-- 7,i7 elementary and secondary education2 7,,ii7 undergraduate and graduate education2 7,,iii7 postdoctoral education and research2 7,,iv7 career and technical education2 and 7,v7 adult education2 7ii7 all regions of the ,united ,states2 and 7iii7 urban1 rural1 and suburban educational entities4 7f7 ,evaluation and dissemination 7#a7 ,evaluation 7,a7 ,in ,general ,each eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall conduct an assessment about the extent to which the eligible entity made progress on the indicators under subsection 7c77#b77;,a74 7,b7 ,assessment ,an eligible entity may work in partnership with the ,institute of ,education ,sciences to conduct such assessment4 7,c7 ,use by secretary ,not later than #a year after receiving the grant award1 the eligible entity shall submit a report to the ,secretary containing the results of such assessment4 ,the ,secretary shall use those reports in order to build the knowledge base on promising models for preventing and reducing sex discrimination across all areas and levels of education4 7#b7 ,dissemination ,the ,secretary shall coordinate with the ,director of the ,institute of ,education ,sciences and other relevant ,federal offices and agencies to-- 7,a7 ensure that the results of the activities carried out under this section are made readily available on the ,office for ,gender ,equity resource center website2 and 7,b7 widely disseminate the results described in subparagraph 7,a7 to relevant ,federal offices1 and agencies1 educational entities and the general public4 #h4 ,research and development 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall coordinate with the ,director of the ,institute of ,education ,sciences and other relevant ,federal offices and agencies and entities to investigate1 identify1 and disseminate best practices to fully implement title ,,ix and reduce and prevent sex discrimination in all areas of education1 including-- 7#a7 the reduction and prevention of sex stereotyping1 bias1 and discrimination in curricula1 textbooks1 software1 and other educational materials2 7#b7 the development of policies and programs to-- 7,a7 address and prevent sexual and sex-based harassment and violence2 and 7,b7 ensure that campuses are free from threats to the safety of students1 teachers1 faculty1 and personnel2 7#c7 the development and evaluation of-- 7,a7 counseling and career guidance training2 and 7,b7 programs to reduce and prevent sex stereotyping1 bias1 and discrimination2 7#d7 best practices for mitigating implicit bias in teaching1 discipline1 and all areas of education2 7#e7 best practices for addressing the needs of students who face compound discrimination2 and 7#f7 other activities that the ,secretary determines are consistent with the purposes of this ,act4 7b7 ,dissemination ,the best practices described under subsection 7a7 shall be published on the ,office for ,gender ,equity resource center website1 as described in section #e7;b77#e71 and the ,what ,works ,clearinghouse website of the ,institute of ,education ,sciences4 #i4 ,report2 dissemination 7a7 ,report to ,congress ,not later than #b years after the date of enactment of this ,act and every #b years thereafter1 the ,secretary shall publish a report on the steps the ,department of ,education has taken to-- 7#a7 support educational entities in fully implementing title ,,ix and reducing and preventing sex discrimination2 7#b7 provide coordination1 training1 and resources for title ,,ix coordinators to fully carry out their roles and responsibilities2 and 7#c7 promote equity in education for students who face compound discrimination4 7b7 ,dissemination ,the ,secretary shall coordinate with the ,director of the ,institute of ,education ,sciences and the heads of relevant ,federal agencies to ensure that the results of trainings1 activities1 evaluations1 and research developments under this ,act are made readily available on the ,office for ,gender ,equity resource center website and disseminated widely to other relevant ,federal agencies and offices1 educational entities1 and the general public4 #aj4 ,rule of ,construction ,nothing in this ,act shall be construed-- 7#a7 as modifying any provision of title ,,ix of the ,education ,amendments of #aigb 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #afha et seq472 or 7#b7 as affecting the enforcement of such title by the ,department of ,education1 the ,department of ,justice1 or any other ,federal agency4 #aa4 ,authorization of appropriations 7a7 ,in general ,there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this ,act #hj1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjah through #bjbb4 7b7 ,use ,from amounts made available to carry out this ,act for each fiscal year1 the ,secretary shall use not less than #gj1jjj1jjj of such amounts to award grants under section #g4