WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Representative Chrissy Houlahan’s (D-PA) bipartisan bill, the Mathematical and Statistical Modeling Education Act, passed the House of Representatives unanimously. Houlahan led this bill with her Republican colleague, Representative Jim Baird (R-IN). The legislation would support the modernization of math curriculum by providing grants to K-12 schools teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in innovative ways. This funding will help schools update their math curriculum to make it more relevant and applicable to real-world scenarios, a needed investment as these skills become more and more relevant in today’s job market.  

“Improving STEM education in our Commonwealth and across the country has been a priority for me since joining Congress,” said Houlahan. “I’m thrilled my colleagues agreed and passed my bill unanimously through the House. This legislation will ensure the next generation — our future STEM workforce — are more equipped to tackle 21st-century problems that enable U.S. innovation and leadership.” 

The Mathematical and Statistical Modeling Education Act would direct the National Science Foundation to use $10 million of its previously authorized funding to provide competitive grants to schools that are focused on innovative mathematic and statistical modeling education, including computational and data-driven thinking. It will also direct the National Academies to conduct a study on the same topic. 

A companion bill was introduced by Senators Hassan and Blackburn. 

The legislation is supported by The American Statistical Association (ASA), The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), The Consortium for Mathematics and its Applications (COMAP), The American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC), the New Hampshire Learning Initiative (NHLI), the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), Center for Innovation in Education (CIE) and the Business Software Alliance (BSA). 

Houlahan is an Air Force veteran, an engineer, a serial entrepreneur, an educator, and a nonprofit leader. She represents Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District, which encompasses Chester County and southern Berks County. She serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. She is the recipient of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Abraham Lincoln Leadership for America Award which “recognizes members who demonstrate the bipartisan leadership and constructive governing necessary to move our country forward” and the Congressional Management Foundation’s 2022 Democracy Award for best Constituent Services in Congress. 

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