PROMOTES Act of 2020

II 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. 3900 To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a grant program to support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education in the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES JUNE 4, 2020 Ms. ROSEN (for herself, Mr. ROUNDS, Mrs. BLACKBURN, and Mr. PETERS) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services A BILL To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a grant program to support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education in the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS. 3 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 4 ‘‘Providing Resources and Organization to Maximize Op- 5 portunities for Training and Education in STEM Act of 6 2020’’ or the ‘‘PROMOTES Act of 2020’’. 7 (b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 8 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:48 Jun 20, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3900.IS S3900 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •S 3900 IS (1) Section 2031(b)(3) of title 10, United 1 States Code, as amended by section 512 of the Na- 2 tional Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 3 2020 (Public Law 116–92), authorizes the inclusion 4 of STEM education in the Junior Reserve Officers’ 5 Training Corps program. 6 (2) Consequently, it is necessary to provide re- 7 sources for the implementation of STEM education 8 within the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. 9 SEC. 2. GRANTS TO SUPPORT STEM EDUCATION IN THE 10 JUNIOR RESERVE OFFICERS’ TRAINING 11 CORPS. 12 (a) PROGRAM REQUIRED.— 13 (1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 102 of title 10, 14 United States Code, is amended by adding at the 15 end the following new section: 16 ‘‘§ 2036. Grants to support science, technology, engi- 17 neering, and mathematics education 18 ‘‘(a) PROGRAM REQUIRED.—The Secretary, in con- 19 sultation with the Secretary of Education, may carry out 20 a program to make grants to eligible entities to assist such 21 entities in providing education in covered subjects to stu- 22 dents in the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:48 Jun 20, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3900.IS S3900 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •S 3900 IS ‘‘(b) COORDINATION.—In carrying out the program 1 under subsection (a), the Secretary may coordinate with 2 the following: 3 ‘‘(1) The Secretaries of the military depart- 4 ments. 5 ‘‘(2) The Secretary of Education. 6 ‘‘(3) The Director of the National Science 7 Foundation. 8 ‘‘(4) The Administrator of the National Aero- 9 nautics and Space Administration. 10 ‘‘(5) The heads of such other Federal, State, 11 and local government entities the Secretary of De- 12 fense determines to be appropriate. 13 ‘‘(6) Private sector organizations as the Sec- 14 retary of Defense determines appropriate. 15 ‘‘(c) ACTIVITIES.—Activities funded with grants 16 under this section may include the following: 17 ‘‘(1) Training and other support for instructors 18 to teach courses in covered subjects to students. 19 ‘‘(2) The acquisition of materials, hardware, 20 and software necessary for the instruction of covered 21 subjects. 22 ‘‘(3) Activities that improve the quality of edu- 23 cational materials, training opportunities, and cur- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:48 Jun 20, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3900.IS S3900 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •S 3900 IS ricula available to students and instructors in cov- 1 ered subjects. 2 ‘‘(4) Development of travel opportunities, dem- 3 onstrations, mentoring programs, and informal edu- 4 cation in covered subjects for students and instruc- 5 tors. 6 ‘‘(5) Students’ pursuit of certifications in cov- 7 ered subjects. 8 ‘‘(d) PREFERENCE.—In making grants under this 9 section, the Secretary shall give preference to eligible enti- 10 ties that are eligible for assistance under part A of title 11 I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 12 (20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.). 13 ‘‘(e) EVALUATIONS.—The Secretary shall establish 14 outcome-based metrics and internal and external assess- 15 ments to evaluate the merits and benefits of the activities 16 funded with grants under this section with respect to the 17 needs of the Department of Defense. 18 ‘‘(f) AUTHORITIES.—In carrying out the program 19 under this section, the Secretary shall, to the extent prac- 20 ticable, make use of the authorities under chapter 111 and 21 sections 2601 and 2605 of this title, and other authorities 22 the Secretary determines appropriate. 23 ‘‘(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:48 Jun 20, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3900.IS S3900 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •S 3900 IS ‘‘(1) The term ‘eligible entity’ means a local 1 education agency that hosts a unit of the Junior Re- 2 serve Officers’ Training Corps. 3 ‘‘(2) The term ‘covered subjects’ means— 4 ‘‘(A) science; 5 ‘‘(B) technology; 6 ‘‘(C) engineering; 7 ‘‘(D) mathematics; 8 ‘‘(E) computer science; 9 ‘‘(F) computational thinking; 10 ‘‘(G) artificial intelligence; 11 ‘‘(H) machine learning; 12 ‘‘(I) data science; 13 ‘‘(J) cybersecurity; 14 ‘‘(K) robotics; and 15 ‘‘(L) other subjects determined by the Sec- 16 retary of Defense to be related to science, tech- 17 nology, engineering, and mathematics.’’. 18 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec- 19 tions at the beginning of chapter 102 of such title 20 is amended by adding at the end the following new 21 item: 22 ‘‘2036. Grants to support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.’’. (b) REPORT.— 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:48 Jun 20, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3900.IS S3900 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 6 •S 3900 IS (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than two years 1 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec- 2 retary of Defense shall submit to the congressional 3 defense committees a report on the activities carried 4 out under section 2036 of title 10, United States 5 Code (as added by subsection (a)). 6 (2) CONGRESSIONAL DEFENSE COMMITTEES 7 DEFINED.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘congres- 8 sional defense committees’’ has the meaning given 9 that term in section 101(a)(16) of title 10, United 10 States Code. 11 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:48 Jun 20, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S3900.IS S3900 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS