---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 2193b"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "2193b"
heading: "Improvement of education in technical fields: program for support of elementary and secondary education in science, technology, engineering, art and design, and mathematics"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/2193b"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part III — Training and Education"
  - "Chapter 111 — Support of Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Education"
---

# §2193b. Improvement of education in technical fields: program for support of elementary and secondary education in science, technology, engineering, art and design, and mathematics

- (a) **Authority for Program.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may conduct a science, technology, engineering, art and design, and mathematics education improvement [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) known as the “[Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense STARBASE [Program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1)”. The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) shall carry out the [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) in coordination with the [Secretaries](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of the [military departments](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-8) and the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) in which the Coast Guard is operating.
- (b) **Purpose.—** The purpose of the [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) is to improve knowledge and skills of students in kindergarten through twelfth [grade](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-7) in science, technology, engineering, art and design, and mathematics.
- (c) **STARBASE Academies.—**
  - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) shall provide for the establishment of at least 25 academies under the [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1).
  - (2) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense shall establish guidelines, criteria, and a process for the establishment of STARBASE [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) in addition to those in operation on October 5, 1999.
  - (3)
    - (A) Except as otherwise provided under [subparagraph (B)](#c-3-B), the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) may not support the establishment in any [State](/usc/10/4951.md?p=4) of more than four academies under the [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1).
    - (B) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) may support the establishment and operation of an academy in a [State](/usc/10/4951.md?p=4) in excess of four academies in that [State](/usc/10/4951.md?p=4) if the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) expressly waives, in writing, the limitation in [subparagraph (A)](#c-3-A) with respect to that [State](/usc/10/4951.md?p=4). In the case of any such waiver, appropriated funds may be used for the establishment and operation of an academy in excess of four in that [State](/usc/10/4951.md?p=4) only to the extent that appropriated funds are expressly available for that purpose. Any such waiver shall be made under criteria to be prescribed by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3).
- (d) **Persons Eligible To Participate in Program.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) shall prescribe [standards](/usc/10/3011.md?p=3) and procedures for selection of [persons](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) for participation in the [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1).
- (e) **Regulations.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense shall prescribe regulations governing the conduct of the [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1).
- (f) **Authority to Accept Financial and Other Support.—**
  - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense, the [Secretaries](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of the [military departments](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-8), and the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) in which the Coast Guard is operating may accept financial and other support for the [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) from other [departments](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) and [agencies](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3) of the Federal Government, [State](/usc/10/4951.md?p=4) governments, [local governments](/usc/10/4951.md?p=4), and not-for-profit and other organizations in the private sector.
  - (2) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense shall remain the executive agent to carry out the [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) regardless of the source of funds for the [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) or any transfer of jurisdiction over the [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) within the executive branch.
- (g) **Annual Report.—** Not later than March 31 of each year, the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense shall submit to Congress a report on the [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) under this section. The report shall contain a discussion of the design and conduct of the [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) and an evaluation of the effectiveness of the [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1).
- (h) **State Defined.—** In this section, the term “[State](/usc/10/4951.md?p=4)” [includes](/usc/10/101.md?p=g-4) the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and Guam.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title V, § 580(a), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 631; amended Pub. L. 107–107, div. A, title V, § 596(b), Dec. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 1127; Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title V, § 519, title X, § 1084(d)(16), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 1886, 2062; Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title V, § 592, Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 138; Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title V, § 595, Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4234; Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title V, § 552, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1386; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title V, §§ 591(a), 592, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3665, 3666.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2021—Pub. L. 116–283, § 591(a)(1), substituted “science, technology, engineering, art and design, and mathematics” for “science, mathematics, and technology” in section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 116–283, § 591(a)(2), substituted “science, technology, engineering, art and design, and mathematics” for “science, mathematics, and technology”.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 116–283, § 591(a)(3), substituted “science, technology, engineering, art and design, and mathematics” for “mathematics, science, and technology”.

Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 116–283, § 592, inserted “the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa,” before “Guam”.

2019—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 116–92, § 552(1), inserted “and the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating” after “military departments”.

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 116–92, § 552(2), substituted “, the Secretaries of the military departments, and the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating” for “and the Secretaries of the military departments”.

2011—Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 111–383 substituted “March 31 of each year” for “90 days after the end of each fiscal year”.

2008—Subsec. (c)(3)(A). Pub. L. 110–181, § 592(1), substituted “more than four academies” for “more than two academies”.

Subsec. (c)(3)(B). Pub. L. 110–181, § 592(2), substituted “in excess of four” for “in excess of two” in two places.

2004—Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 108–375, § 1084(d)(16), substituted “October 5, 1999” for “the date of the enactment of this section”.

Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 108–375, § 519, amended par. (3) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (3) read as follows: “The Secretary may support the establishment and operation of any academy in excess of two academies in a State only if the Secretary has first authorized in writing the establishment of the academy and the costs of the establishment and operation of the academy are paid out of funds provided by sources other than the Department of Defense. Any such costs that are paid out of appropriated funds shall be considered as paid out of funds provided by such other sources if such sources fully reimburse the United States for the costs.”

2001—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 107–107 designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2).

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Existing STARBASE Academies

Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title V, § 580(b), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 632, provided that: “While continuing in operation, the academies existing on the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 5, 1999] under the Department of Defense STARBASE Program, as such program is in effect on such date, shall be counted for the purpose of meeting the requirement under section 2193b(c)(1) of title 10, United States Code (as added by subsection (a)), relating to the minimum number of STARBASE academies.”