Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Advancing Girls in STEM Act of 2014”.
Advancing Girls in STEM Act of 2014
A BILL
To establish a grant program in the Department of Education to promote the involvement of female students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Findings
Congress finds the following:
According to a September 2013 report by the United States Census Bureau, only 26 percent of employees in STEM fields were women, while 74 percent were men.
A Department of Commerce report states that employees in STEM fields earn 26 percent more than their non-STEM counterparts.
Women in STEM jobs earn 33 percent more than comparable women in non-STEM jobs.
The United States ranks 25th in mathematics and 17th in science among industrialized nations.
According to the Department of Labor, only 15 percent of the world’s scientists reside in the United States and only 5 percent of United States workers are employed in fields related to science and engineering.
Sec. 3 Definitions
For purposes of this Act, the following definitions shall apply:
State— The term State means each State of the United States and the District of Columbia.
STEM— The term STEM means science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Elementary School— The term elementary school has the meaning given such term by section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
Secondary School— The term secondary school has the meaning given such term by section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
Secretary— The term Secretary means the Secretary of the United States Department of Education.
Sec. 4 Grant program
Grants Authorized— The Secretary shall award grants to States to carry out the programs described in subsection (b).
Use of Funds— A State that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant to carry out programs that promote the involvement of female students at the elementary school and secondary school levels in STEM fields.
Award Allocation and Amount— The Secretary shall award grants to States, on a competitive basis, in accordance with the following criteria:
Geographic Allocation— The Secretary shall award 1 grant to each of 2 States in each of the following geographic regions:
South— Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
Midwest— Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Northeast— Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia.
West— Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
Amount— The amount of each grant shall be $2,500,000.
Deadline for Distribution— The Secretary shall distribute grant funds in accordance with this section not later than the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act.
Application— To be eligible for a grant under this Act, a State shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably require.
Reports—
States— As a condition of receiving a grant under this Act, a State shall agree to submit a report to the Secretary, on an annual basis, identifying how the grant funds were used and the number of students who participated in the programs carried out with the grant funds.
Secretary— The Secretary shall, on an annual basis, and using the reports received under paragraph (1), report to Congress on the overall impact and effectiveness of the grant program under this Act.
Sec. 5 Transfer of Funds for Grant Program
Of amounts made available to the Office of Nuclear Warhead Protection in the National Nuclear Security Administration not obligated as of the date of enactment of this Act, there is transferred $20,000,000 to the Department of Education to carry out this Act.