House Passes Two STEM Education Bills

Earlier this week, the House of Representatives passed two notable STEM education bills via unanimous voice vote. The Building Blocks of STEM Act¸ which would create and expand upon STEM education initiatives at NSF for young children, including new research grants to increase the participation of girls in computer science, passed both the House and Senate and now heads to the President to sign into law. The bill was sponsored by Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) alongside Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Deb Fischer (R-NE).  

The House also passed the MSI STEM Achievement Act, a bipartisan bill authored by House Science Committee Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX). The bill directs Federal science agencies and the Office of Science and Technology Policy to undertake activities to improve the quality of undergraduate STEM education and enhance the research capacity at the Nation’s HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs.  

The STEM Education Coalition applauds the passage of both bills and appreciates the continued dedication of Congress to expand federal support for STEM education opportunities nationwide.