Congress funds K–12 math and data science education to close STEM skills gap
H.R. 730 — Mathematical and Statistical Modeling Education Act · Filed by Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) · 2 cosponsors · Introduced Jan 24, 2025 · Passed chamber
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What it does
This bill authorizes $10 million per year (2026–2030) for the National Science Foundation to fund research and development projects at universities and nonprofits aimed at improving how K–12 schools teach mathematical modeling, statistical analysis, and data science. It also funds a $1 million per year study by the National Academies to identify barriers and best practices in teaching these skills. The bill targets underrepresented groups in STEM and emphasizes partnerships between schools, employers, and researchers to make math and statistics education more practical and career-relevant.
Why we flagged it
The bill is a straightforward authorization of federal research grants to improve K–12 mathematical and statistical modeling education. It funds competitive awards to universities and nonprofits, plus a study by the National Academies. No deregulation, no tax carve-outs, no immunity grants—just appropriations for education research.
What the text implies
- The bill's emphasis on 'computational tools' and 'data science' may indirectly benefit EdTech companies and software vendors if schools adopt their platforms as part of funded projects, though no specific vendor is named or favored.
- The requirement that educators partner with 'industry' and 'employers' to contextualize math/stats teaching could create pathways for corporate influence over curriculum design, depending on implementation.
- The sunset clause (Sept 30, 2029) means the program ends unless Congress reauthorizes; this creates uncertainty for schools and universities planning multi-year initiatives.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
The bill funds educational research and teacher training in high-demand STEM skills with explicit focus on equity (underrepresented groups, rural schools, students experiencing homelessness). It does not restrict citizen rights, impose costs on the public, or create private monopolies. The funding is modest, time-limited, and directed toward a documented national skills gap.
Who stands to gain
- universities and nonprofit organizations receiving NSF grants
- K–12 schools and local educational agencies (indirect, through professional development and curricul
- potentially EdTech and software companies if schools adopt their tools in funded projects
Named in the bill
National Science Foundation (NSF), Directorate for STEM Education, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM), local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, Federal laboratories, Bureau of Labor Statistics
Where it stands
2 cosponsors: 2 Republicans.
- Jan 24, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Jan 24, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology”
- Mar 24, 2025 — Passed the House · Congress.gov: “Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection”
- Mar 24, 2025 — Floor vote scheduled · Congress.gov: “Mr. Babin moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
Money around this bill
1 lobbying clients named this bill on 1 disclosure filings across 1 quarter, Dec 2025 to Dec 2025. Those filings disclosed $20,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 9 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.
More lobbying clients named this bill than 0% of bills with at least one filing.
Chrissy Houlahan, the sponsor, reported $539,500 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.
- Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers — $20,000 on 1 filing
Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jan 16, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (15,192 characters) on Jul 25, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
Money — Senate Lobbying Disclosure Act filings whose specific-issue field names this bill for quarters ending Dec 2025 to Dec 2025. A filing's amount is reported whole beside the median number of bills a filing names; it is never divided across them. PAC receipts are FEC-reported contributions to the sponsor's candidate committee in the 2026 cycle.
As of — lobbying records through Jan 16, 2026 · page rendered 2026-10-20.
“Congress funds K–12 math and data science education to close STEM skills gap” QuorumCivic. https://share.quorumcivic.app/bill/119/hr730 Report an error
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