[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5922 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5922
To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish the Ronald V. Dellums
Memorial Fellowship for Women of Color in STEAM fields, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 18, 2020
Ms. Lee of California (for herself and Mr. Grijalva) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and
Labor, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish the Ronald V. Dellums
Memorial Fellowship for Women of Color in STEAM 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 ``Ronald V. Dellums Memorial
Fellowship for Women of Color in STEAM and National Security Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) From 1993 to 1995, Ronald V. Dellums served as the
Chairman of the Armed Services Committee of the House of
Representatives after 20 years of service on such Committee.
(2) As a stalwart champion of diversity and inclusion,
Chairman Dellums was an early supporter of integrating lesbian,
gay, transgender, and bisexual individuals into the military.
(3) Before Chairman Dellums was elected to the House of
Representatives in 1970, he was a psychiatric social worker,
community organizer, and lecturer.
(4) Chairman Dellums served in the United States Marine
Corps from 1954 to 1956.
(5) In section 4201 of the Fiscal Year 2018 National
Defense Authorization Act, Congress reiterated the importance
of prioritizing this relationship by authorizing more than
$12,000,000 above the President's requests, including 2,000,000
authorized specifically for minority women in the fields of
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
(6) While women of color have made significant progress in
graduating from college in the areas of study related to STEAM,
they continue to be underrepresented in the STEAM fields.
(7) While underrepresented minority students overall face
an opportunity gap in STEAM education, women of color face a
larger achievement gap in science and engineering education.
(8) In 2016, of bachelor's degrees awarded in STEAM
majors--
(A) women received 36 percent;
(B) Black individuals received 13 percent;
(C) Hispanic individuals received 15 percent;
(D) Native American or Alaska Native individuals
received 14 percent; and
(E) Asian or Pacific Islander individuals received
33 percent.
(9) A 2017 report published by the National Science
Foundation found that the percentage of all bachelor's degrees
in computer sciences, mathematics, and statistics, and
engineering received by women of color has declined since 1996.
(10) Intentional and proactive strategies and programs are
necessary to ensure the underrepresentation of women of color
in the disciplines and professions related to STEAM fields is
appropriately addressed to ensure broad and inclusive
participation in areas of national importance.
SEC. 3. FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Defense shall establish a
fellowship program, which shall be known as the ``Ronald V. Dellums
Memorial Fellowship for Women of Color in STEAM'', to provide
scholarships and internships for eligible students with high potential
talent in STEAM.
(b) Objectives.--In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall--
(1) consult with institutions of higher education and
relevant professional associations, nonprofit organizations,
and relevant defense industry representatives on the design of
the program; and
(2) design the program in a manner such that the program--
(A) increases awareness of and interest in
employment at a Defense Agency among underrepresented
students in the STEAM fields, particularly women of
color, who are pursuing a degree in a STEAM field;
(B) supports the academic careers of
underrepresented students, especially women of color,
in STEAM fields; and
(C) builds a pipeline of women of color with
exemplary academic achievements in a STEAM field who
can pursue careers in national security and in areas of
national need.
(c) Components.--The fellowship program shall consist of--
(1) a scholarship program under subsection (d); and
(2) an internship program under subsection (e).
(d) Selection.--
(1) In general.--Each fiscal year, subject to the
availability of funds, the Secretary shall select at least 30
eligible students to participate in the fellowship program for
a period of 2 years.
(2) Students from minority-serving institutions and
historically black colleges and universities.--The Secretary
may not award fewer than 50 percent of the fellowships under
this section to eligible students who attend historically Black
colleges and universities and other minority-serving
institutions, including Hispanic-serving institutions, Asian
American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving
institutions, American Indian Tribally controlled colleges and
universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving
institutions, Tribal colleges and universities, Predominantly
Black Institutions, and Native American-serving, Nontribal
institutions.
(3) Scholarship.--Each fellow shall receive a scholarship
of up to $50,000 each academic year of the fellowship program.
A fellow who receives a scholarship may only use the
scholarship funds to pay for the cost of attendance at an
institution of higher education.
(4) Consideration of underrepresented students in steam
fields.--In awarding a fellowship under this section, the
Secretary shall consider--
(A) the number and distribution of minority and
female students nationally in science and engineering
majors;
(B) the projected need for highly trained
individuals in all fields of science and engineering;
(C) the present and projected need for highly
trained individuals in science and engineering career
fields in which minorities and women are
underrepresented; and
(D) the lack of minorities and women in national
security, especially in science and engineering fields
in which such individuals are traditionally
underrepresented.
(5) Student agreement.--As a condition of the receipt of a
scholarship under this section, a fellow shall agree--
(A) to maintain satisfactory academic standing in
accordance with standards determined by the institution
of higher education at which the student is enrolled;
(B) to complete an internship described in
subsection (e) in a manner that the Secretary
determines is satisfactory;
(C) upon completion of the degree that the student
pursues while in the fellowship program, to work for
the Federal Government or in the field of education in
the area of study for which the scholarship or
fellowship was awarded, for a period specified by the
Secretary, which shall not be longer than the period
for which scholarship assistance was provided to such
student; and
(D) to return the amount of the assistance provided
the recipient under the program with interest at a rate
no higher than the high yield of the 10-year Treasury
note auctioned at the final auction held prior to such
June 1 if the student fails to comply with any of
subsections (A) through (E).
(6) Enforcement of agreement.--The Secretary may enforce
the agreement under paragraph (5) as the Secretary determines
appropriate.
(e) Internship.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish an
internship program that provides each student who is awarded a
fellowship under this section with an internship at a Defense
Agency.
(2) Requirements.--Each internship shall--
(A) to the extent practicable, last for a period of
at least 10 weeks;
(B) include a stipend for transportation and living
expenses incurred by the fellow during the fellowship;
and
(C) be completed during the initial 2-year period
of the fellowship.
(3) Mentorship.--To the extent practicable, each fellow
shall be paired with a mid-level or a senior-level official of
the Defense Agency who shall serve as a mentor during the
internship.
(f) Extensions.--
(1) In general.--Subject to this section, a fellow may
apply for, and the Secretary may grant, a 1-year extension of
the fellowship.
(2) Number of extensions.--There shall be no limit on the
number of extensions under paragraph (1) that the Secretary may
grant an eligible student.
(3) Limitation on degrees.--A fellow may use an extension
of a fellowship under this section for the pursuit of not more
than the following number of graduate degrees:
(A) Two master's degrees.
(B) One doctorate of philosophy.
(4) Treatment of extensions.--An extension granted under
this subsection does not count for the purposes of--
(A) the number of fellowships granted under
subsection (d)(1); or
(B) the percentage of fellowships granted to
eligible students.
(5) Extension requirements.--A fellow may receive an
extension under this subsection only if--
(A) the fellow is in good academic standing with
the institution of higher education where the fellow is
enrolled;
(B) the fellow has satisfactorily completed an
internship under subsection (e); and
(C) the fellow is currently enrolled full-time at
an institution of higher education and pursuing, in a
STEAM field--
(i) a bachelor's degree;
(ii) a master's degree; or
(iii) a doctorate of philosophy.
(g) Limitation on Administrative Costs.--For each academic year,
the Secretary may use not more than 5 percent of the funds made
available to carry out this section for administrative purposes,
including for purposes of--
(1) outreach to institutions of higher education to
encourage participation in the program; and
(2) promotion of the program to eligible students.
(h) Administration of Program.--The Secretary may appoint a lead
program officer to administer the program and to market the program
among students and institution of higher education.
(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of the next
5 fiscal years.
(j) Reports.--Not later than 2 years after the date on which the
first fellowship is awarded under this section, and each academic year
thereafter, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Congress a
report containing--
(1) a description and analysis of the demographic
information of students who receive fellowships under this
section, including information with respect to such students
regarding--
(A) race, in the aggregate and disaggregated by the
same major race groups as the decennial census of the
population;
(B) ethnicity;
(C) gender identity;
(D) eligibility to receive a Federal Pell Grant
under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a
et seq.); and
(E) eligibility of the household in which the
student resides to receive benefits under the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program under section
5 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C.
2014), in the case of graduate students;
(2) an analysis of the effects of the program;
(3) a description of--
(A) the total number of students who obtain a
degree with fellowship funds each year; and
(B) the type and total number of degrees obtained
by fellows; and
(4) recommendations for changes to the program and to this
Act to ensure that women of color are being effectively served
by such program.
(k) Definitions.--In this Act:
(1) Cost of attendance.--The term ``cost of attendance''
has the meaning given the term in section 132 of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1015a).
(2) Defense agency.--The term ``Defense Agency'' has the
meaning given the term in section 101(a) of title 10, United
States Code.
(3) Eligible student.--The term ``eligible student'' means
an individual who--
(A) submits an application for a fellowship under
this section;
(B) is enrolled, or will be enrolled for the first
year for which the student applies for a fellowship, in
either the third or fourth year of a four-year academic
program; and
(C) is enrolled, or will be enrolled for the first
year for which the student applies for a fellowship, in
a university on at least a half-time basis.
(4) Fellow.--The term ``fellow'' means a student that was
selected for the fellowship program under subsection (d).
(5) Historically black college and university.--The term
``historically Black college or university'' has the meaning
given the term ``part B institution'' in section 322 of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).
(6) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001).
(7) Minority-serving institution.--The term ``minority-
serving institution'' means an institution listed in section
371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1067q(a)).
(8) STEAM.--The term ``STEAM'' means science, technology,
engineering, arts, and mathematics.
(9) Underrepresented student in a steam field.--The term
``underrepresented student in a STEAM field'' means a student
who is a member of a minority group for which the number of
individuals in such group who receive bachelor's degrees in
STEAM fields per 10,000 individuals in such group is
substantially fewer than the number of White, non-Hispanic
individuals of bachelor's degrees in STEAM fields per 10,000
such individuals.
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