On September 21, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee approved H.R. 4755, the Inspiring the Next Space Pioneers, Innovators, Researchers, and Explorers (INSPIRE) Women Act, and H.R. 4742, the Promoting Women and Entrepreneurship Act.
INSPIRE Women Act
Sponsored by Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-VA), the legislation seeks to inspire women and girls to pursue the aerospace field and other science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. The bill would require NASA to develop an outreach plan to support and encourage K-12 female STEM students to pursue careers in such fields.
The House approved the measure on March 22 (see The Source, 3/25/16).
Women and Entrepreneurship Act
The measure, sponsored by Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-CT), would authorize the National Science Foundation to create programs that support women who are “commercializing ideas, starting small businesses, and creating jobs.”
The House approved an earlier version of the bill on March 22 (see The Source, 3/25/16).
