[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 718 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 718
Expressing support for increasing the number of Latino students and
young professionals entering careers in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics fields.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 15, 2025
Ms. Rivas (for herself, Ms. Ansari, Ms. Barragan, Mr. Carson, Ms.
Castor of Florida, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Frost,
Ms. Garcia of Texas, Mr. Mannion, Ms. Norton, Mr. Ruiz, Ms. Salazar,
Ms. Salinas, Mr. Soto, Ms. Stansbury, Ms. Stevens, Mr. Thanedar, Mr.
Tonko, Mrs. Torres of California, and Ms. Lofgren) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on Education
and Workforce, 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
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing support for increasing the number of Latino students and
young professionals entering careers in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics fields.
Whereas the Latino population in the United States has grown significantly over
the years on a national basis and Latinos accounted for more than
65,200,000 residents in 2023;
Whereas the number of Latinos enrolled at an institution of higher education has
increased from 2,900,000 in 2010, to 3,900,000 in 2023;
Whereas Latinos are responsible for 78 percent of the growth of the United
States labor force since the recession of 2007 to 2009;
Whereas the Latino population is growing more rapidly than the non-Latino
population, and has a younger median age of 30.7 years, as compared to
41.1 years among non-Latinos in 2022;
Whereas the overall number of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(referred to in this resolution as ``STEM'') graduates increased, but
Latino workers remain underrepresented in the STEM workforce, making up
18.2 percent of total employees across all occupations, but only 14.8
percent of all STEM workers;
Whereas Latino representation in the STEM workforce has increased over the past
decade, rising from approximately 6 percent of STEM workers with
bachelor's degrees or higher in 2010 to 8 percent in 2019, and reaching
15 percent of all STEM workers by 2021, which highlights both the
progress made and the opportunity to further expand Latino participation
in STEM fields in the United States workforce;
Whereas STEM career paths provide greater opportunities for economic mobility
than non-STEM careers, offering wages roughly 65 percent higher than the
national average, responding to increasing labor demand, and allowing
professionals to have broad contribution to society;
Whereas the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and Latino Donor
Collaborative report highlights that 76 percent of surveyed Latinos are
motivated by their fascination with STEM, and 64 percent are motivated
by the opportunity to solve real-world problems, emphasizing the
influence of role models and mentors to inspire the next generation of
Latino professionals in STEM;
Whereas many Latino students have a positive view about college education, they
face gaps in college preparation, including limited access to advanced
coursework, STEM classes, college counseling, and financial planning,
making it more difficult for them to attend and succeed in institutions
of higher education;
Whereas the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study reports that 85 percent of
Latinos students applied for financial aid, yet only 71 percent received
assistance, and those who did, received it at the lowest average award
among all student groups;
Whereas the growth of well-paying STEM jobs is projected to grow by 10.4 percent
through 2033, more than double the 3.6 percent projected for non-STEM
jobs, emphasizing the rising appeal of STEM careers for Latino students
and young adults and highlighting the urgent need for strategies to
facilitate their entry into these fields; and
Whereas greater investment in the Latino community will generate more
individuals eager to pursue STEM jobs and will greatly increase the
domestic high-skilled workforce: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the goal of increasing Latino individuals in
STEM as a way to promote economic empowerment and
sustainability, not only in their community, but in the overall
United States economy;
(2) acknowledges that, while Latino individuals have been a
foundation for the United States economy, they are
underrepresented in STEM fields to the detriment of these
industries and the broader United States economy;
(3) acknowledges that a strong commitment toward diversity
and inclusion, which has been shown to improve the performance
of the STEM workforce, will require greater investment in the
Latino community, and this emphasis will help develop talented
and capable STEM workers, reduce the Nation's dependence on
foreign workers, and secure the Nation's future as a leader in
STEM;
(4) encourages increased Federal support for initiatives
aimed at boosting the number of Latino students who pursue STEM
education and career paths, particularly engineering; and
(5) recognizes the important role that Hispanic-serving
institutions and all institutions of higher education must play
in order to achieve this goal of increasing Latino individuals
in STEM.
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