,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ajfg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #h1     
#bjai ,ms4 ,harris 7for herself1 ,ms4   
,rosen1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,ms4 ,smith1  
,ms4 ,klobuchar1 ,ms4 ,hirono1 ,mr4     
,peters1 ,mr4 ,sanders1 and ,mr4 ,reed7 
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,health1 ,education1      
,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
provide for research to better          
understand the causes and consequences  
of sexual harassment affecting          
individuals in the scientific1          
technical1 engineering1 and mathematics 
workforce and to examine policies to    
reduce the prevalence and negative      
impact of such harassment1 and for other
 purposes4  #a4 ,short title2 table of  
contents  7a7 ,short title ,this ,act   
may be cited as the ,combating ,sexual  
,harassment in ,science ,act of #bjai4  
7b7 ,table of contents ,the table of    
contents for this ,act is as follows3   

,sec4 #a4 ,short title2 table of        
contents4 ,sec4 #b4 ,findings4 ,sec4 #c4
 ,definitions4 ,sec4 #d4 ,research      
grants4 ,sec4 #e4 ,data collection4     
,sec4 #f4 ,responsible conduct guide4   
,sec4 #g4 ,interagency working group4   
,sec4 #h4 ,national academies           
assessment4 ,sec4 #i4 ,authorization of 
appropriations4  #b4 ,findings ,congress
 makes the following findings3 7#a7     
,according to the report issued by the  
,national ,academies of ,sciences1      
,engineering1 and ,medicine in #bjah    
entitled ,sexual ,harassment of ,women3 
,climate1 ,culture1 and ,consequences in
 ,academic ,sciences1 ,engineering1 and 
,medicine--  7,a7 sexual harassment is  
pervasive in institutions of higher     
education2  7,b7 the most common type of
 sexual harassment is gender harassment1
 which includes verbal and nonverbal    
behaviors that convey insulting1        
hostile1 and degrading attitudes about  
members of one gender2  7,c7 #eh percent
 of individuals in the academic         

workplace experience sexual harassment1 
the second highest rate when compared to
 the military1 the private sector1 and  
,federal1 ,state1 and local government2 
7,d7 women who are members of racial or 
ethnic minority groups are more likely  
to experience sexual harassment and to  
feel unsafe at work than ,white women1  
,white men1 or men who are members of   
such groups2  7,e7 the training for each
 individual who has a doctor of         
philosophy in the science1 technology1  
engineering1 and mathematics fields is  
estimated to cost approximately         
#ejj1jjj2 and  7,f7 attrition of an     
individual so trained results in a loss 
of talent and money4  7#b7 ,sexual      
harassment undermines career advancement
 for women4  7#c7 ,according to a #bjag 
study led by ,dr4 ,kathryn ,clancy at   
the ,university of ,illinois1 among     
astronomers and planetary scientists1   
#ah percent of women who are members of 
racial or ethnic minority groups and #ab
 percent of ,white women skipped        

professional events because they did not
 feel safe attending4  7#d7 ,many women 
report leaving employment at            
institutions of higher education due to 
sexual harassment4  7#e7 ,research shows
 the majority of individuals do not     
formally report experiences of sexual   
harassment due to a justified fear of   
retaliation or other negative           
professional or personal consequences4  
7#f7 ,reporting procedures with respect 
to such harassment are inconsistent     
among ,federal science agencies and have
 varying degrees of accessibility4  7#g7
 ,there is not adequate communication   
among ,federal science agencies and     
between such agencies and grantees      
regarding reports of sexual harassment1 
which has resulted in harassers         
receiving ,federal funding after moving 
to a different institution4  #c4        
,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7        
,academies ,the term ,academies means   
the ,national ,academies of ,sciences1  
,engineering1 and ,medicine4  7#b7      

,director ,the term ,director means the 
,director of the ,national ,science     
,foundation4  7#c7 ,federal science     
agency ,the term ,federal science agency
 means any ,federal agency with an      
annual extramural research expenditure  
of over #ajj1jjj1jjj4  7#d7 ,grantee    
,the term grantee means the legal entity
 to which a grant is awarded and that is
 accountable to the ,federal ,government
 for the use of the funds provided4     
7#e7 ,grant personnel ,the term grant   
personnel means principal investigators1
 co-principal investigators1 other      
personnel supported by a grant award    
under ,federal law1 and their trainees4 
7#f7 ,institution of higher education   
,the term institution of higher         
education has the meaning given such    
term in section #aja of the ,higher     
,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 
#ajja74  7#g7 ,sexual harassment ,the   
term sexual harassment means conduct    
that encompasses--  7,a7 verbal and     
nonverbal behaviors that convey         

hostility1 objectification1 exclusion1  
or second-class status about one's      
gender1 gender identity1 gender         
presentation1 sexual orientation1 or    
pregnancy status2  7,b7 unwelcome sexual
 advances2  7,c7 unwanted physical      
contact that is sexual in nature1       
including assault2  7,d7 unwanted sexual
 attention1 including sexual comments   
and propositions for sexual activity2   
7,e7 conditioning professional or       
educational benefits on sexual activity2
 and  7,f7 retaliation for rejecting    
unwanted sexual attention4  #d4         
,research grants  7a7 ,in general ,the  
,director shall establish a program to  
award grants1 on a competitive basis1 to
 institutions of higher education or    
nonprofit organizations 7or consortia of
 such institutions or organizations7--  
7#a7 to expand research efforts to      
better understand the factors           
contributing to1 and consequences of1   
sexual harassment affecting individuals 
in the scientific1 technical1           

engineering1 and mathematics workforce1 
including students and trainees2 and    
7#b7 to examine interventions to reduce 
the incidence and negative consequences 
of such harassment4  7b7 ,use of funds  
,activities funded by a grant under this
 section may include--  7#a7 research on
 the sexual harassment experiences of   
individuals in underrepresented or      
vulnerable groups1 including racial and 
ethnic minority groups1 disabled        
individuals1 foreign nationals1 sexual- 
and gender-minority individuals1 and    
others2  7#b7 development and assessment
 of policies1 procedures1 trainings1 and
 interventions1 with respect to sexual  
harassment1 conflict management1 and    
ways to foster respectful and inclusive 
climates2  7#c7 research on approaches  
for remediating the negative impacts and
 outcomes of such harassment on         
individuals experiencing such           
harassment2  7#d7 support for           
institutions of higher education to     
develop1 adapt1 implement1 and assess   

the impact of innovative1 evidence-based
 strategies1 policies1 and approaches to
 policy implementation to prevent and   
address sexual harassment2  7#e7        
research on alternatives to the         
hierarchical and dependent relationships
 in academia that have been shown to    
create higher levels of risk for sexual 
harassment2 and  7#f7 establishing a    
center for the ongoing compilation1     
management1 and analysis of campus      
climate survey data4  #e4 ,data         
collection ,not later than #ahj days    
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 the ,director shall convene a     
working group composed of               
representatives of ,federal statistical 
agencies-- 7#a7 to develop questions on 
sexual harassment in science1           
technology1 engineering1 and mathematics
 departments to gather national data on 
the prevalence1 nature1 and implications
 of sexual harassment in institutions of
 higher education2 and  7#b7 to include 
such questions as appropriate1 with     

sufficient protections of the privacy of
 respondents1 in relevant surveys       
conducted by the ,national ,center for  
,science and ,engineering ,statistics   
and other relevant entities4  #f4       
,responsible conduct guide  7a7 ,in     
general ,not later than #ahj days after 
the date of enactment of this ,act1 the 
,director shall enter into an agreement 
with the ,academies to update the report
 entitled ,on ,being a ,scientist3 ,a   
,guide to ,responsible ,conduct in      
,research issued by the ,academies4 ,the
 report1 as so updated1 shall include-- 
7#a7 updated professional standards of  
conduct in research2  7#b7 standards of 
treatment individuals can expect to     
receive under such updated standards of 
conduct2  7#c7 evidence-based practices 
for fostering a climate intolerant of   
sexual harassment2  7#d7 methods1       
including bystander intervention1 for   
identifying and addressing incidents of 
sexual harassment2 and  7#e7            
professional standards for mentorship   

and teaching with an emphasis on        
preventing sexual harassment4  7b7      
,recommendations ,in updating the report
 under subsection 7a71 the ,academies   
shall take into account recommendations 
made in the report issued by the        
,academies in #bjah entitled ,sexual    
,harassment of ,women3 ,climate1        
,culture1 and ,consequences in ,academic
 ,sciences1 ,engineering1 and ,medicine 
and other relevant studies and evidence4
  7c7 ,report ,not later than #af months
 after the effective date of the        
contract under subsection 7a71 the      
,academies1 as part of such agreement1  
shall submit to the ,director and the   
,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and     
,technology of the ,house of            
,representatives and the ,committee on  
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
 of the ,senate the report referred to  
in such subsection1 as updated pursuant 
to such subsection4  #g4 ,interagency   
working group  7a7 ,in general ,the     
,director of the ,office of ,science and

 ,technology ,policy1 acting through the
 ,national ,science and ,technology     
,council1 shall establish an interagency
 working group for the purpose of       
coordinating ,federal science agency    
efforts to reduce the prevalence of     
sexual harassment involving grant       
personnel4 ,the working group shall be  
chaired by the ,director of the ,office 
of ,science and ,technology ,policy 7or 
the ,director's designee7 and shall     
include a representative from each      
,federal science agency with annual     
extramural research expenditures        
totaling over #a1jjj1jjj1jjj4  7b7      
,responsibilities of working group ,the 
interagency working group established   
under subsection 7a7 shall coordinate   
,federal science agency efforts to      
implement the policy guidelines         
developed under subsection 7c77#b74  7c7
 ,responsibilities of ,,ostp ,the       
,director of the ,office of ,science and
 ,technology ,policy shall--  7#a7 not  
later than #ij days after the date of   

the enactment of this ,act1 submit to   
the ,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and 
,technology of the ,house of            
,representatives and the ,committee on  
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
 of the ,senate an inventory of ,federal
 science agency policies1 procedures1   
and resources dedicated to preventing   
and responding to reports of sexual     
harassment2  7#b7 not later than #f     
months after the date on which the      
inventory is submitted under paragraph  
7#a7--  7,a7 in consultation with       
outside stakeholders1 develop a uniform 
set of policy guidelines for ,federal   
science agencies2 and  7,b7 submit a    
report to the committees referred to in 
paragraph 7#a7 containing such          
guidelines2  7#c7 encourage and monitor 
efforts of ,federal science agencies to 
develop or maintain and implement       
policies based on the guidelines        
developed under paragraph 7#b72  7#d7   
not later than #a year after the date on
 which the inventory under paragraph    

7#a7 is submitted1 and every #e years   
thereafter1 the ,director of the ,office
 of ,science and ,technology ,policy    
shall report to ,congress on the        
implementation by ,federal science      
agencies of the policy guidelines       
developed under paragraph 7#b72 and     
7#e7 update such policy guidelines as   
needed4  7d7 ,requirements  7#a7 ,in    
,general ,in developing policy          
guidelines under subsection 7c77#b71 the
 ,director of the ,office of ,science   
and ,technology ,policy shall include   
guidelines that require--  7,a7 grantees
 to submit to the ,federal science      
agency or agencies from which the       
grantees receive funding reports        
relating to-- 7i7 findings or           
determinations of sexual harassment2 and
  7ii7 any decisions made to place grant
 personnel on administrative leave or   
impose any administrative action on     
grant personnel related to any sexual   
harassment investigation2  7,b7 the     
sharing and archiving of reports of     

sexual harassment from grantees         
submitted under paragraph 7#a7 with     
relevant ,federal science agencies on a 
quarterly basis2 and  7,c7 to the extent
 practicable1 ensure consistency among  
relevant ,federal agencies with regards 
to the policies and procedures for      
receiving reports submitted pursuant to 
paragraph 7#a71 which may include the   
designation of a single agency to field 
reports so submitted4  7#b7 ,,ferpa ,the
 ,director of the ,office of ,science   
and ,technology ,policy shall ensure    
that such guidelines and requirements   
are consistent with the requirements of 
section #ddd of the ,general ,education 
,provisions ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #abcb;g7
 7commonly referred to as the 8,family  
,educational ,rights and ,privacy ,act  
of #aigd074  7e7 ,considerations ,in    
developing policy guidelines under      
subsection 7c77#b71 the ,director of the
 ,office of ,science and ,technology    
,policy shall consider guidelines that--
 7#a7 require grantees to periodically  

assess their organizational climate     
using climate surveys1 focus groups1 or 
exit interviews2  7#b7 require grantees 
to publish on a publicly available      
internet website the results of         
assessments conducted pursuant to       
paragraph 7#a71 disaggregated by gender 
and1 if possible1 race1 ethnicity1      
disability status1 and sexual           
orientation2  7#c7 require grantees to  
make public on an annual basis the      
number of reports of sexual harassment  
at each such institution2  7#d7 require 
grantees to regularly assess and improve
 policies1 procedures1 and interventions
 to reduce the prevalence of sexual     
harassment2  7#e7 require each grantee  
to describe in its grant proposal a code
 of conduct for maintaining a healthy   
and welcoming workplace for grant       
personnel2 and  7#f7 reward and         
incentivize grantees working to create a
 climate intolerant of sexual           
harassment4  7f7 ,federal science agency
 implementation ,each ,federal science  

agency shall--  7#a7 develop or maintain
 and implement policies with respect to 
sexual harassment that are consistent   
with policy guidelines under subsection 
7c77#b7 and that protect the privacy of 
all parties involved in any report and  
investigation of sexual harassment1     
except to the extent necessary to carry 
out an investigation2 and  7#b7 broadly 
disseminate such policies to current and
 potential recipients of research grants
 awarded by such agency4  7g7 ,sunset   
,the interagency working group          
established under subsection 7a7 shall  
terminate on the date that is #g years  
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act4  #h4 ,national academies          
assessment  7a7 ,in general ,not later  
than #c years after the date of         
enactment of this ,act1 the ,director   
shall enter into an agreement with the  
,academies to undertake a study of the  
influence of sexual harassment in       
institutions of higher education on the 
career advancement of individuals in the

 scientific1 engineering1 technical1 and
 mathematics workforce4 ,the study shall
 assess--  7#a7 the state of research on
 sexual harassment in such workforce2   
7#b7 whether research demonstrates a    
decrease in the prevalence of sexual    
harassment in such workforce2  7#c7 the 
progress made with respect to           
implementing recommendations promulgated
 in the ,academies consensus study      
report entitled ,sexual ,harassment of  
,women3 ,climate1 ,culture1 and         
,consequences in ,academic ,sciences1   
,engineering1 and ,medicine2  7#d7 the  
degree to which ,federal science        
agencies have implemented the policy    
guidelines developed under section      
#g7;c77#b7 and the effectiveness of that
 implementation2 and  7#e7 where to     
focus future efforts with respect to    
decreasing sexual harassment in such    
institutions4  #i4 ,authorization of    
appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated to the ,director to     
carry out this ,act1 #ag1djj1jjj4