VA Equal Employment Opportunity Counselor Modernization Act This bill eliminates the cap on the number of full-time employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs who provide equal employment opportunity counseling.
Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act This bill addresses sexual harassment and gender harassment in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields by supporting research regarding such harassment and efforts to prevent and respond to such harassment. (Sec. 4) This bill directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to award grants to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations (or their consortia) to expand research into sexual harassment and gender harassment in the STEM workforce, including students and trainees; and examine interventions for reducing the incidence and negative consequences of such harassment. (Sec. 5) The NSF must convene a working group composed of representatives of federal statistical agencies to develop questions on sexual harassment and gender harassment in STEM departments in order to gather national data on the prevalence, nature, and implications of such harassment in institutions of higher education. (Sec. 6) The NSF shall enter into agreements with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to (1) update a responsible conduct guide issued by the National Academies to include, among other things, updated professional standards of conduct in research and evidence-based practices for fostering a climate that is intolerant of sexual harassment and gender harassment; and (2) study the influence of such harassment in institutions of higher education on the career advancement of individuals in the STEM workforce. (Sec. 7) The National Science and Technology Council shall establish an interagency working group to coordinate the federal science agencies' efforts to reduce the prevalence of sexual harassment and gender harassment involving grant personnel. The Office of Science and Technology Policy must develop a uniform set of policy guidelines for such agencies to prevent and respond to reports of sexual harassment and gender harassment.
GI Bill National Emergency Extended Deadline Act This bill amends various provisions related to educational assistance benefits provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). First, the bill extends the time limitation for using educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill and the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and for eligibility under the Veteran Readiness and Employment program, when educational institutions are temporarily or permanently closed due to an emergency situation or another reason that prevents an individual from participating. Next, the bill requires the VA to disapprove of courses of education provided by public institutions of higher learning that charge higher tuition and fees than in-state tuition for individuals who are entitled to educational assistance under the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance program. The bill also makes adjustments to the time limitation for using educational assistance under this program. The VA must implement an information technology service using one or more commercial software systems to process claims for VA educational assistance benefits. Finally, the bill requires the Veterans' Employment and Training Service within the Department of Labor to implement a pilot program under which states may use grants or contracts to carry out a short-term fellowship program to provide veterans with opportunities for long-term employment.
MSI STEM Achievement Act (Sec. 4) This bill supports efforts to increase science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education at minority-serving institutions of higher education (IHEs), including Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Tribal Colleges or Universities. The bill requires the National Science Foundation to award grants for purposes including building the capacity of such IHEs to increase the number and success of their students in the STEM workforce. (Sec. 5) The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) shall develop a uniform set of policy guidelines for federal science agencies to carry out a program of outreach activities to increase clarity, transparency, and accountability for federal science agency investments in STEM education and research activities at minority-serving IHEs. The OSTP shall submit to Congress a report containing a strategic plan for each federal science agency to increase the capacity of minority-serving IHEs to compete for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements and to encourage such IHEs to participate in federal programs.
Coastal and Ocean Acidification Stressors and Threats Research Act of 2021 or the COAST Research Act of 2021 This bill addresses the effects of ocean and coastal acidification on marine organisms and ecosystems. Specifically, the bill reauthorizes through FY2026 and revises the Ocean Acidification Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the ocean acidification grant program of the National Science Foundation. The bill expands those programs, as well as the ocean acidification activities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), to include efforts to research and monitor the effects of coastal acidification.
Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133d Signal Service Company, known as the Ghost Army , collectively, in recognition of its service during World War II.
Rural STEM Education Research Act This bill specifies federal scientific research and development efforts towards STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, including computer science) workforce development and rural STEM education. (Sec. 3) The bill amends the objectives of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program to include the provision to secondary schools of information about the job skills needed in manufacturing companies, and the promotion and expansion of certification systems offered through local high schools. The activities of a manufacturing extension center are expanded to include local high schools in the facilitation of collaborations and partnerships between manufacturing companies and schools to help those entities better understand the specific needs of manufacturers and to help manufacturers better understand the skill sets that students learn in school programs. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) must award prizes to stimulate research and development of creative technologies in order to deploy affordable and reliable broadband connectivity to underserved rural communities. NIST may award not more than a total of $5 million in prizes. (Sec. 4) The Office of Science and Technology Policy must establish a broadband research and development working group to address national research challenges and opportunities for improving broadband access and adoption across the United States. (Sec. 5) The National Science Foundation (NSF) shall enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences under which the National Academy of Sciences agrees to evaluate aspects of STEM education and workforce development in rural areas. (Sec. 6) The Government Accountability Office shall conduct a study on the engagement of rural populations in federal STEM programs. (Sec. 7) Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) programs shall consider modifications to award structures to increase the capacity of rural communities to provide quality STEM education and STEM workforce development programming to students and teachers. (Sec. 8) The NSF must award grants to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations for (1) research and development to advance innovative approaches to support and sustain high-quality STEM teaching in rural schools, (2) research and development of programming to identify the barriers rural students face in accessing high-quality STEM education, (3) development of innovative solutions to improve the participation and advancement of rural students in grades Pre-K through 12 in STEM studies, and (4) research on online STEM education courses for rural communities. The NSF may establish a pilot program of regional cohorts in rural areas to provide peer support, mentoring, and hands-on research experiences for rural STEM educators of students in grades Pre-K through 12 in order to build an ecosystem of cooperation among educators, researchers, academia, and local industry.
STEM Opportunities Act This bill provides for guidance, data collection, and grants for groups historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education at institutions of higher education (IHEs) and at federal science agencies. Specifically, the bill requires the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to provide specified guidance related to such groups to federal science agencies and IHEs. Each federal science agency must collect comprehensive demographic data on recipients of merit-reviewed research and development grants given to IHEs and federal laboratories supported by that agency. Each agency must also implement recommendations from the OSTP report titled Reducing the Impact of Bias in the STEM Workforce . In addition, each agency must carry out a pilot program and implement evidence-based policies and practices to minimize the effect of implicit bias in the grant review process. The National Science Foundation (NSF) must carry out and publish a survey to collect data on the demographics of STEM faculty, by broad fields of STEM, at different types of IHEs. The NSF must also carry out a variety of grant programs, including grants for increasing (1) the recruitment, retention, and advancement of individuals from underrepresented minority groups in STEM careers; (2) the recruitment and retention of minority students who are underrepresented in STEM fields; and (3) student participation in computer science and computational thinking education programs at tribal colleges and universities.
Supporting Early-Career Researchers Act This bill authorizes the National Science Foundation to establish a two-year pilot program to award grants to highly qualified early-career investigators to carry out an independent research program at the institution of higher education chosen by such investigator, to last for a period not greater than two years. The NSF shall select grantees from among citizens, nationals, and lawfully admitted permanent resident aliens of the United States. The NSF shall conduct program outreach to recruit fellowship applicants (1) from all regions of the country; (2) from historically underrepresented populations in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); and (3) who graduate from or intend to carry out research at a variety of types of institutions of higher education, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
This resolution sets forth the rule for consideration of H.R. 1629 (Fairness in Orphan Drug Exclusivity Act) and H. Res. 275 (condemning the acts of gun violence that led to the tragic loss of eight lives in Georgia on March 16, 2021). In addition, the resolution adopts H. Res. 398 (recognizing the forthcoming centennial of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and reaffirming the House of Representative's opposition to violence against Asian Americans). The resolution also extends through July 1, 2021, the waiver of certain procedural requirements regarding journal approval, adjournment, suspension of the rules, and consideration of certain resolutions. Finally, the resolution authorizes the Speaker of the House at any time through the legislative day of Thursday, May 20, 2021, to suspend the rules on multiple measures that were the object of a motion to suspend the rules on the legislative day of May 17, 2021, or May 18, 2021.
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States can achieve a more perfect union by condemning the violence and destruction perpetrated against the African American community of Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The resolution states that a more perfect union may be achieved through other means as well, including by promoting tolerance and unity, and it recognizes Congress's commitment to acknowledge and learn from the history of racism and racial violence in the United States in order to reverse the legacy of white supremacy and fight for racial justice.
This resolution expresses support for the designation of National Foster Care Month.
