WASHINGTON- President Donald Trump today signed into law the Inspiring the Next Space Pioneers, Innovators, Researchers, and Explorers (INSPIRE) Women Act (H.R. 321), introduced by Congresswoman Barbara Comstock (R-Va.), and the Promoting Women in Entrepreneurship Act (H.R. 255), introduced by Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (D-Conn.). The two bipartisan bills encourage more women to pursue careers in science.
Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas): “I thank Congresswoman Comstock and Representative Esty for their work on these two bills. STEM education is critical to our country’s economy and global competitiveness. A well-educated and trained STEM workforce promotes our future economic prosperity. I believe the INSPIRE Women Act and the Promoting Women in Entrepreneurship Act will help encourage more talented young women to pursue their dreams, and change the world with their ideas.”
Research and Technology Subcommittee Chairwoman Barbara Comstock (R-Va.): “Our next generation of young women will now have greater opportunities to pursue careers in the STEM fields that are central to our 21st century economy. The INSPIRE Women Act is bipartisan legislation that authorizes NASA to encourage young women to study the STEM fields and to pursue careers that will further advance America’s space missions and the Promoting Women in Entrepreneurship Act also promotes women and jobs in STEM fields.”
Background
The INSPIRE Women Act authorizes the NASA Administrator to encourage women and girls to study science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and to pursue careers that will further advance America’s space science and exploration efforts through support of initiatives like: NASA GIRLS and NASA BOYS; Aspire to Inspire; and the Summer Institute in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Research. Such important programs are intended to encourage more young women to enter fields such as science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The bill is co-sponsored by Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas).
The bipartisan Promoting Women in Entrepreneurship Act authorizes the National Science Foundation to use its entrepreneurial programs to recruit and support women to extend their focus beyond the laboratory and into the commercial world. The bill encourages the National Science Foundation to tackle the problem that only 26 percent of women who attain degrees in STEM fields work in STEM jobs. H.R. 255 is also co-sponsored by the full committee Chairman and Ranking Member.