H.R. 1020 would require the National Science Foundation (NSF) to continue to award grants in support of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. The National Science Foundation Act of 1950 permanently authorizes and directs the NSF to provide grant opportunities for scientific research as part of its mission and purpose. The legislation also would expand eligibility for certain scholarship programs and teaching fellowships to include computer science teachers and educators who hold bachelor’s degrees.
Based on information from the NSF, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would have a minimal impact on the agency’s workload and would have no significant impact on the federal budget. Enacting the legislation would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
H.R. 1020 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would benefit public universities and research centers in STEM fields. Any cost incurred by those entities, including matching contributions, would be incurred voluntarily.
