{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://serrano.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/america-competes-act-language-establish-hsi-undergrad-grant-approved", "America Competes Act with Language to Establish HSI Undergrad Grant Approved in Congress Last Week", "2016-12-22", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "NY", "Jos\u00e9 Serrano", "S000248", "serrano.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The Bronx, NY \u2013 U.S. Congressmen Jos\u00e9 Serrano and Joe Crowley today announced that language which would require the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish a grant program to support undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education at Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) was approved in Congress last week as part of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act, also known\u00a0as America COMPETES Act. In 2015,\u00a0Serrano and Crowley offered an amendment to the House version of the bill to ensure that NSF establish a program focused on HSIs. The final Senate version contains substantially similar language in Section 315 requiring the NSF\u2019s director to award merit-based grants to HSIs.\u201cHispanics continue to be underrepresented in STEM fields, and without a dedicated program to help institutions that serve primarily Hispanic students, that will continue to be the case. \u00a0Hispanic Serving Institutions need to have the necessary financial resources to help encourage more students to pursue careers in the sciences, and this provision will ensure that HSIs have just that. \u00a0I am pleased to see this important measure included in the America COMPETES act; investing in Hispanics\u2019 education in the science fields is investing in the future competitiveness of our country,\u201d said Congressman Serrano.\n\u201cEncouraging traditionally underrepresented minorities, such as Hispanics, to enter STEM fields is imperative for our country to remain competitive in today\u2019s global economy,\u201d said Rep. Crowley (D-Queens, the Bronx). \u201cThis dedicated grant program for HSIs is a pivotal step in supporting Hispanic students poised to become our next scientists, engineers and leaders of tomorrow. It\u2019s an investment that will open doors of opportunity for countless communities while growing our talent pool, and I\u2019m thrilled this piece of legislation is on its way to the president\u2019s desk.\u201d\"The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) commends the members of the 114th Congress for passing the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act. We are especially grateful to Representatives Joseph Crowley and Jose Serrano for their steadfast commitment to and support of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs),\u201d said HACU President and CEO, Antonio R. Flores. \u201cThe final bill includes language that directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish a much-needed competitive grant program for HSIs. HACU has advocated for such a program for many years in view of the national need to increase Hispanic participation in the STEM workforce. We look forward to engaging with the leadership of the NSF in the development of an effective program.\"\nIn the 114th Congress, Serrano and Crowley introduced the\u00a0Hispanic Opportunity Program in Education and Science Act (HOPES Act), H.R. 1924, to require NSF to establish a HSI undergraduate program. This bill inspired the amendment to the America COMPETES Act.\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://serrano.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/america-competes-act-language-establish-hsi-undergrad-grant-approved"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3697489630430937, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}