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Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering, and Technology Development Act

Public Law 105-255 · H.R. 3007 · 105th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Oct 14, 1998 · Labor and Employment

Sponsor: Rep. Constance Morella (R-MD-8)

Cosponsors (16): Rep. Gil Gutknecht,

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering, and Technology Development Act - Establishes the Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering, and Technology Development.

Directs the Commission to review available research and conduct additional necessary research to: (1) identify the number of women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities in the United States in specific types of occupations in science, engineering, and technology development; (2) examine the preparedness of such persons to pursue careers in such fields and to advance to positions of greater responsibility within academia, industry, and government; (3) describe the practices and policies of employers and labor unions relating to the recruitment, retention, and advancement of such persons in such fields; (4) identify the opportunities for, and artificial barriers to, the recruitment, retention, and advancement of such persons in such fields; (5) compile a synthesis of available research on lawful practices, policies, and programs that have successfully led to the recruitment, retention, and advancement of such persons in such fields and issue recommendations with respect to lawful policies that Government (including the Congress and appropriate Federal agencies), academia, and private industry can follow; (6) identify the disincentives for such persons to continue graduate education in such fields and the disincentives that lead to a disproportionate number of such persons leaving such fields; (7) identify university undergraduate programs that are successful in retaining such persons in such fields; (8) assess the extent to which the recommendations of the Task Force on Women, Minorities, and the Handicapped in Science and Technology have been implemented; (9) compile a list of all federally funded reports on the subjects of encouraging such persons to enter the fields of science and engineering and retaining such persons in the science and engineering workforce that have been issued since the Task Force submitted its report to the Congress; (10) assess the extent to which the recommendations contained in such reports have been implemented; and (11) evaluate the benefits of family-friendly policies such as the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 in order to assist recruiting, retaining, and advancing women in the fields of science, engineering, and technology.

Requires the Commission to report its findings and recommendations to the President, the Congress, and the highest executive official of each State within one year after its members have been appointed. Terminates the Commission 30 days after the submission of its report.

Directs the Commission to provide the information gathered to the National Science Foundation (NSF) which shall act as a central repository and make such information available to the public, including through the Internet.

Requires NSF and any other Federal agency to provide any information requested by the Commission, including: (1) data on academic degrees awarded to such persons in science, engineering, and technology development and workforce representation and the retention of such persons in such fields; and (2) information gathered by NSF in the compilation of its biennial report on Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering. Requires the Commission to review such information and include in its report: (1) recommendations on how to correct any deficiencies in the collection and analysis of the information which might impede the characterization of the factors which affect the attraction and retention of such persons in such fields; and (2) an assessment of the NSF's biennial report and recommendations on how that report could be improved.

Authorizes appropriations for FY 1999 and 2000.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 24 actions.

  1. Oct 14, 1998Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 105-255.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 6, 1998PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 1, 1998FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  5. Sep 14, 1998FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  6. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
  7. FloorFloor · Mr. Fawell moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  8. Jun 24, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Education and Workforce Committee
  9. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee of the House Education and Workforce Committee
  10. CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Postsecondary Education, Training and Life-Long Learning Subcommittee of the House Education and Workforce Committee
  11. Jun 3, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
  12. May 13, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
  13. Mar 26, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Technology Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
  14. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Technology Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
  15. Mar 23, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from Research Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
  16. Mar 10, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Research Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
  17. CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Technology Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
  18. Dec 10, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee of the House Education and Workforce Committee
  19. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Postsecondary Education, Training and Life-Long Learning Subcommittee of the House Education and Workforce Committee
  20. Nov 18, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Research Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
  21. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Technology Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
  22. Nov 9, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Education and Workforce Committee
  23. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
  24. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.