119-hres718

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 718 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. RES. 718

 Expressing support for increasing the number of Latino students and 
 young professionals entering careers in science, technology, 
 engineering, and mathematics fields.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 September 15, 2025

 Ms. Rivas (for herself, Ms. Ansari, Ms. Barragan, Mr. Carson, Ms. 
 Castor of Florida, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Frost, 
 Ms. Garcia of Texas, Mr. Mannion, Ms. Norton, Mr. Ruiz, Ms. Salazar, 
 Ms. Salinas, Mr. Soto, Ms. Stansbury, Ms. Stevens, Mr. Thanedar, Mr. 
 Tonko, Mrs. Torres of California, and Ms. Lofgren) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Science, 
 Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on Education 
 and Workforce, 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 concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

 Expressing support for increasing the number of Latino students and 
 young professionals entering careers in science, technology, 
 engineering, and mathematics fields.

Whereas the Latino population in the United States has grown significantly over 
 the years on a national basis and Latinos accounted for more than 
 65,200,000 residents in 2023;
Whereas the number of Latinos enrolled at an institution of higher education has 
 increased from 2,900,000 in 2010, to 3,900,000 in 2023;
Whereas Latinos are responsible for 78 percent of the growth of the United 
 States labor force since the recession of 2007 to 2009;
Whereas the Latino population is growing more rapidly than the non-Latino 
 population, and has a younger median age of 30.7 years, as compared to 
 41.1 years among non-Latinos in 2022;
Whereas the overall number of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 
 (referred to in this resolution as ``STEM'') graduates increased, but 
 Latino workers remain underrepresented in the STEM workforce, making up 
 18.2 percent of total employees across all occupations, but only 14.8 
 percent of all STEM workers;
Whereas Latino representation in the STEM workforce has increased over the past 
 decade, rising from approximately 6 percent of STEM workers with 
 bachelor's degrees or higher in 2010 to 8 percent in 2019, and reaching 
 15 percent of all STEM workers by 2021, which highlights both the 
 progress made and the opportunity to further expand Latino participation 
 in STEM fields in the United States workforce;
Whereas STEM career paths provide greater opportunities for economic mobility 
 than non-STEM careers, offering wages roughly 65 percent higher than the 
 national average, responding to increasing labor demand, and allowing 
 professionals to have broad contribution to society;
Whereas the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and Latino Donor 
 Collaborative report highlights that 76 percent of surveyed Latinos are 
 motivated by their fascination with STEM, and 64 percent are motivated 
 by the opportunity to solve real-world problems, emphasizing the 
 influence of role models and mentors to inspire the next generation of 
 Latino professionals in STEM;
Whereas many Latino students have a positive view about college education, they 
 face gaps in college preparation, including limited access to advanced 
 coursework, STEM classes, college counseling, and financial planning, 
 making it more difficult for them to attend and succeed in institutions 
 of higher education;
Whereas the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study reports that 85 percent of 
 Latinos students applied for financial aid, yet only 71 percent received 
 assistance, and those who did, received it at the lowest average award 
 among all student groups;
Whereas the growth of well-paying STEM jobs is projected to grow by 10.4 percent 
 through 2033, more than double the 3.6 percent projected for non-STEM 
 jobs, emphasizing the rising appeal of STEM careers for Latino students 
 and young adults and highlighting the urgent need for strategies to 
 facilitate their entry into these fields; and
Whereas greater investment in the Latino community will generate more 
 individuals eager to pursue STEM jobs and will greatly increase the 
 domestic high-skilled workforce: Now, therefore, be it
 Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

    (1) supports the goal of increasing Latino individuals in 
 STEM as a way to promote economic empowerment and 
 sustainability, not only in their community, but in the overall 
 United States economy;

    (2) acknowledges that, while Latino individuals have been a 
 foundation for the United States economy, they are 
 underrepresented in STEM fields to the detriment of these 
 industries and the broader United States economy;

    (3) acknowledges that a strong commitment toward diversity 
 and inclusion, which has been shown to improve the performance 
 of the STEM workforce, will require greater investment in the 
 Latino community, and this emphasis will help develop talented 
 and capable STEM workers, reduce the Nation's dependence on 
 foreign workers, and secure the Nation's future as a leader in 
 STEM;

    (4) encourages increased Federal support for initiatives 
 aimed at boosting the number of Latino students who pursue STEM 
 education and career paths, particularly engineering; and

    (5) recognizes the important role that Hispanic-serving 
 institutions and all institutions of higher education must play 
 in order to achieve this goal of increasing Latino individuals 
 in STEM.
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