,i  #aag? ,,congress  #a/ ,session  ,h4 
,r4 #dcff  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(           
,,repres5tatives  ,july #f1 #bjba,mrs4  
,c>olyn ,b4 ,maloney ( ,new ,york 7=    
h]self1 ,ms4 ,jackson ,lee1 & ,ms4      
,/rickl&7 introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0
 ref]r$ to ! ,committee on ,sci5ce1     
,space1 & ,te*nology  ,a ,,bill  ,to    
increase ! p>ticipation ( hi/orically   
und]repres5t$ demographic gr\ps 9       
sci5ce1 te*nology1 eng9e]+1 & ma!matics 
education & indu/ry4  #a4 ,%ort title   
,?is ,act may be cit$ z ! ,wom5 &       
,m9orities 9 ,,/em ,boo/] ,act ( #bjba4 
#b4 ,grant program to increase !        
p>ticipation ( wom5 & und]repres5t$     
m9orities 9 /em fields  7a7 ,f9d+s      
,congress f9ds ! foll[+3 7#a7 ,accord+  
to ! ,national ,academy ( ,sci5ces1     
,,/em education is critical to ensur+ ! 
,unit$ ,/ates ma9ta9s a div]se &        
competitive work=ce4  7#b7 ,accord+ to !
 ,unit$ ,/ates ,c5sus ,bureau1 wom5 7   
/ill va/ly und]repres5t$ 9 ! ,,/em      
work=ce 9 #bjai3 compris+ ne>ly half ( !

 ,unit$ ,/ates work=ce 7#dh p]c5t71 b   
only slightly m ?an a qu>t] ( ,,/em     
work]s 7#bg p]c5t74  7#c7 ,accord+ to ! 
,national ,sci5ce ,f\ndation1 wom5 only 
repres5t #bh p]c5t ( all sci5ce &       
eng9e]+ work]s3 compris+ #bi p]c5t (    
physical sci5ti/s1 #be p]c5t ( comput] &
 ma!matical sci5ti/s1 & #ac p]c5t (     
eng9e]s4  7#d7 ,accord+ to ! ,national  
,c5t] ( ,education ,/ati/ics 7,,nces71  
wom5 are m likely ?an m5 to swit* out ( 
,,/em majors3 #cb p]c5t1 comp>$ to #bf  
p]c5t4 ,,nces has also f\nd t :ile a    
high] p]c5tage ( ba*elor's degrees are  
aw>d$ to females ?an males 7#eh p]c5t1  
comp>$ to #db p]c5t71 )9 ,,/em fields a 
l[] p]c5tage ( ba*elor's degrees 7 aw>d$
 to females ?an males 7#cf p]c5t1 comp>$
 to #fd p]c5t74  7#e7 ,accord+ to !     
,national ,action ,c\ncil = ,m9orities 9
 ,eng9e]+1 ,inc41 ! ,unit$ ,/ates ne$s  
to increase ! numb] ( und]repres5t$     
m9orities :o become eng9e]s 9 ord] to   
rema9 competitive 9 a _w ( te*nological 
innovation4  7#f7 ,accord+ to ,asian    

,am]icans ,advanc+ ,ju/ice 7,,aajc71    
data on ,asian ,am]icans & ,pacific     
,isl&]s 7,a,a,p,is7 t5d to hide ! fact t
 c]ta9 ,,aapi subgr\ps are /ill         
und]repres5t$ 9 ,,/em3 ) ,cambodian 7#i 
p]c5t71 ,laotian 7#h p]c5t71 ,hmong 7#h 
p]c5t71 & ,native ,hawaiian & ,pacific  
,isl&] 7#g p]c5t7 work]s significantly  
und]repres5t$ comp>$ to o!r work]s 9 !  
,unit$ ,/ates 7#ab p]c5t74  7#g7 ,data  
also t5d to hide ! fact t c]ta9 subgr\ps
 are und]repres5t$ 9 po/second>y        
education3 ) ,cambodian 7#ah p]c5t71    
,hmong 7#ag p]c5t71 ,laotian 7#af       
p]c5t71 & ,native ,hawaiian & ,pacific  
,isl&] 7#ae p]c5t7 /ud5ts receiv+ a     
ba*elor's degree or high] at l[] rates  
?an o!r /ud5ts 7#cj p]c5t74 ,fur!rmore1 
c]ta9 subgr\ps also exp]i5ce pov]ty at  
high] rates3 ) ,hmong 7#bh p]c5t71      
,cambodian 7#ba p]c5t71 ,native         
,hawaiian & ,pacific ,isl&]s 7#bj       
p]c5t71 & ,laotian 7#ag p]c5t7 h\seholds
 liv+ bel[ ! ,f$]al pov]ty level at     
significantly high] rates ?an ! ov]all  

population 7#ae p]c5t74  7#h7 ,f9ally1  
,,nces has f\nd t wom5 & und]repres5t$  
m9orities leave ,,/em at high] rates ?an
 _! c\nt]p>ts1 lead+ to a ne$ to develop
 res\rces to reta9 ^! gr\ps 9 ,,/em4    
7b7 ,program au?oriz$ ,! ,director ( !  
,national ,sci5ce ,f\ndation %all aw>d  
grants to eligible entities1 on a       
competitive basis1 to enable su*        
eligible entities to c>ry out !         
activities describ$ 9 subsection 7d71 9 
ord] to increase ! p>ticipation ( wom5 &
 und]repres5t$ m9orities 9 ! fields (   
sci5ce1 te*nology1 eng9e]+1 & ma!matics4
  7c7 ,application ,ea* eligible entity 
t desires to receive a grant "u ?is     
section %all submit an application to ! 
,national ,sci5ce ,f\ndation at su* "t1 
9 su* mann]1 & conta9+ su* in=mation z !
 ,director ( ! ,national ,sci5ce        
,f\ndation may reasonably require4  7d7 
,au?oriz$ activities ,an eligible entity
 t receives a grant "u ?is section %all 
use su* grant funds to c>ry out "o or m 
( ! foll[+ activities design$ to        

increase ! p>ticipation ( wom5 or       
m9orities und]repres5t$ 9 sci5ce &      
eng9e]+1 or bo?3 7#a7 ,onl9e work%ops4  
7#b7 ,m5tor+ programs t p>tn] sci5ce1   
te*nology1 eng9e]+1 or ma!matics        
pr(essionals ) /ud5ts4  7#c7 ,int]n%ips 
= und]graduate & graduate /ud5ts 9 !    
fields ( sci5ce1 te*nology1 eng9e]+1 &  
ma!matics4  7#d7 ,conduct+ outrea*      
programs t provide elem5t>y s*ool &     
second>y s*ool /ud5ts ) opportunities to
 increase _! exposure to ! fields (     
sci5ce1 te*nology1 eng9e]+1 or          
ma!matics4  7#e7 ,programs to increase !
 recruitm5t & ret5tion ( und]repres5t$  
faculty4  7#f7 ,su* additional programs 
z ! ,director ( ! ,national ,sci5ce     
,f\ndation may det]m9e4  7e7 ,def9itions
 ,9 ?is ,act-- 7#a7 ! t]m m9ority means 
,am]ican ,indian1 ,alaskan ,native1     
,black 7n ( ,hispanic orig971 ,hispanic 
7includ+ p]sons ( ,mexican1 ,pu]to      
,rican1 ,cuban1 & ,c5tral or ,s\?       
,am]ican orig971 ,asian 7includ+        
und]repres5t$ subgr\ps71 ,native        

,hawaiian1 ,pacific ,isl&] orig9        
subgr\p1 or o!r e?nic gr\p und]repres5t$
 9 sci5ce & eng9e]+2 &  7#b7 ! t]m      
und]repres5t$ 9 sci5ce & eng9e]+ means a
 m9ority gr\p ^: numb] ( sci5ti/s &     
eng9e]s p] #aj1jjj population ( t gr\p  
is sub/antially bel[ ! comp>able figure 
= sci5ti/s & eng9e]s :o are ,:ite & n ( 
,hispanic orig91 z det]m9$ by !         
,secret>y ( ,education "u section       
#fcg4d7;b7 ( title #cd1 ,code ( ,f$]al  
,regulations4  7f7 ,au?orization (      
appropriations ,!re are au?oriz$ to be  
appropriat$ to c>ry out ?is section     
#ae1jjj1jjj = ea* ( fiscal ye>s #bjbb1  
#bjbc1 #bjbd1 #bjbe1 & #bjbf4