Congress acts to stop sexual harassment in the sciences

It isn’t news that the science and technology industry  has been inundated in recent months with charges of sexual harassment.  That Congress is actually trying to do something about it, is news.

On July 23rd, the House passed by voice-vote H.R.36, The Combating Sexual Harassment In Science Act of 2019. The bill aims to advance efforts to decrease the prevalence of sexual and gender harassment in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) research fields.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TC), was introduced back in January. The bill directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to award grants to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations (or their consortia) to:

  • Expand research into sexual harassment and gender harassment in the STEM workforce, including students and trainees.
  • Examine interventions for reducing the incidence and negative consequences of such harassment.

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The bill also directs the NSF to convene a working group composed of representatives of federal statistical agencies to develop questions on sexual harassment and gender harassment in STEM departments in order to gather national data on the prevalence, nature, and implications of such harassment in institutions of higher education. And it requires the Office of Science and Technology Policy to develop a uniform set of policy guidelines for federal agencies to prevent and respond to reports of sexual harassment and gender harassment.

The bill will now head to the Senate, which does not currently have a companion bill. Whether the bill progresses further in the legislative process may depend largely on the will of Mitch McConnell who is not known for his sympathetic views of legislation passed by the Democratic House.

At any rate, many experts are encouraged by the House action on HR 36. If nothing else, the bill may instigate action from Federal research agencies that have yet to develop sexual harassment policies.