Bills
| 3.23.22

Do Federal STEM Education Programs Need To Expand Their Scope? (H.R. 1020)

Do you support or oppose this bill?

What is H.R. 1020?

(Updated March 23, 2018)

This bill was enacted on October 7, 2015

This bill proposes three changes to federal STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education initiatives: 
  • First, it would officially include computer sciences in the definition of “STEM education" — ensuring that federal grants and programs related to STEM will also go to funding computer science education. 
  • Secondly, the bill would authorize STEM agencies to fund research that advances outside-the-classroom STEM education. 
  • Third, the bill would expand the National Science Foundation's Noyce Scholarship to include applicants with bachelor's degrees — not just master's degrees.  

Argument in favor

Adding computer science to the definition of "STEM" education, and spreading programs outside of the classroom will increase student interest and skill in these fields.

Argument opposed

Without a solid cost estimate, it's hard to know if these changes are fiscally sound, or even guaranteed to improve STEM education initiatives.

Impact

U.S. students, federal STEM education initiatives and agencies, the National Science Foundation, Noyce Scholarship applicants and recipients, U.S. educators and public schools.

Cost of H.R. 1020

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

Additional Info

In Depth: 

NASA, the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency already include computer sciences in their definition of STEM. 

Media:


Wikipedia (Previous Bill Version)

Computing Research Policy Blog (Previous Bill Version)

(Photo Credit: Flickr user A. Buser)