Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act
Public Law 116-115 · S. 153 · 116th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Feb 11, 2020 · Science, Technology, Communications
Sponsor: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)
Cosponsors (12): Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Sen. Steve Daines,
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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act
This bill addresses the participation of veterans in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, including by making veterans eligible for certain National Science Foundation (NSF) programs.
(Sec. 3) The bill directs the NSF to (1) encourage veterans to study and pursue careers in STEM and computer science in coordination with other federal agencies that serve veterans, and (2) submit a plan to Congress for enhancing veterans outreach.
The National Science Board shall provide in its annual report on the state of science and engineering in the United States relevant data on veterans in science and engineering careers or education programs.
The bill provides for veterans' participation in (1) the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program to recruit and train mathematics and science teachers, (2) NSF fellowships and masters fellowships for mathematics and science teachers, (3) computer and network security capacity building grants, and (4) traineeship grants leading to a doctorate degree in computer and network security research.
The Office of Science and Technology Policy shall establish an interagency working group to improve veteran and military spouse equity and representation in STEM fields.
(Sec. 4) The Government Accountability Office must study (1) the academic success rates of student veterans pursuing an undergraduate degree in STEM, computer science, medicine, or other fields identified as meeting national needs; and (2) the barriers faced by such students in pursuing such degrees.
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.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 425Identical billRelated bill
Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 18 actions.
- Feb 11, 2020Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 116-115.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Feb 3, 2020FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Jan 27, 2020FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 153.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. McAdams moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Jan 14, 2020CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
- Dec 19, 2019FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee conce…
- Dec 18, 2019FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Dec 5, 2019CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 314.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Wicker with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 116-164.
- Jul 10, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- Jan 16, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.