The bill, which offers opportunities for students and teachers, was approved easily as part of a package of non-controversial measures on a variety of topics.
Lucas, R- Cheyenne, whose sprawling Oklahoma district is composed primarily of rural areas, said the legislation includes efforts to expand broadband service.
In remarks on the House floor, Lucas said nearly 20 percent of American students attend rural schools and face barriers to education and training in science, technology, engineering and math, known as STEM. Those barriers include a shortage of trained science and math teachers, a lack of access to advanced STEM courses, and few local university and industry partners, Lucas said.
Lucas' bill, which came from the Science, Space and Technology Committee, directs the National Science Foundation to award grants to develop approaches for improving STEM education in rural schools. The foundation could establish a pilot program for developing cooperation among educators, researchers and private industry.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology would be required to award prizes encouraging "creative technologies" to deploy affordable and reliable broadband service in rural areas. The Office of Science and Technology Policy would also have to work on improving rural broadband.
"To succeed in this job market, our students need to be equipped with solid skills in science and engineering," Lucas said Tuesday after the bill passed. "Meeting this demand starts in the classroom.
"Taken together, the measures in the bill will make great strides to improve rural STEM education. I believe rural areas represent one of the greatest, yet most underutilized, opportunities for talented students to enhance the United States' future STEM workforce."
Lucas is the top Republican on the science committee. A similar bill cleared the House in the last Congress but was not considered by the Senate.
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