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H.R. 4979: Rural STEM Education Act

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H.R. 4979: Rural STEM Education Act

116th Congress · introduced 2019-11-05 · Science, Technology, Communications · Latest: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2019-11-05 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Lucas, Frank D. [R-OK-3] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Rural STEM Education Act

Plain summary

Rural STEM Education Act This bill directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support research regarding STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, including computer science) education in rural schools. (Sec. 3) 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, and (3) development of innovative solutions to improve the participation and advancement of rural students in grades Pre-K through 12 in STEM studies. 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. (Sec. 4) The NSF shall award competitive grants to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations (or a consortium thereof, which may include a private sector partner) to conduct research on online STEM education courses for rural communities. (Sec. 5) The NSF shall enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences under which the National Academy 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) Each of the federal agencies administering an Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) program shall consider modifications to EPSCoR 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 bill expands certain outreach activities of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program and MEP Centers to include secondary schools. The National Institute of Standards and Technology must award prizes to stimulate research and development of creative technologies in order to deploy affordable and reliable broadband connectivity to underserved rural communities. (Sec. 9) 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.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

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PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Rural STEM Education Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House)

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The strongest published arguments

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Lucas, Frank D. [R-OK-3] · 46 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 4979, Rural STEM Education Act (2020-01-07)

Cosponsors on this site

James R. Baird (R-IN), Randy K. Weber, Sr. (R-TX), Troy Balderson (R-OH), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Gregory F. Murphy (R-NC), James Comer (R-KY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Bill Foster (D-IL), Brian Babin (R-TX), Robert J. Wittman (R-VA), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Tom Emmer (R-MN), Josh Harder (D-CA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Eric A. "Rick" Crawford (R-AR), Tom Cole (R-OK), Jahana Hayes (D-CT), Neal P. Dunn (R-FL), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Lucas, Frank D. [R-OK-3] reported raising $1.1 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong116-hr4979 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116