; sense of Congress (a) Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Many reports over the past decade have found that it is critical to our Nation’s economic leadership and global competitiveness that the United States educates and trains more scientists and engineers. (2) According to the National Science Board’s Science and Engineering Indicators, the science and engineering workforce has grown faster over time than the workforce overall and now represents 5 percent of all United States jobs, with a median salary more than double that of non-science and engineering occupations. (3) According to Bureau of Labor Statistics projections, the faster growth in STEM employment relative to overall employment is expected to continue, and the United States will need one million additional STEM professionals than it is on track to produce in the coming decade. (4) A recent report by ACT, the scholastic testing service, found that only 20 percent of United States students in the 2016 ACT-tested high school graduating class were ready for first-year STEM college courses. (5) Out of the 70 countries that participate in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Programme for International Student Assessment, the United States ranks 25th in science and 40th in mathematics. (6) The Federal Government spends over $3 billion annually on STEM education related research, programs and activities, but encouraging STEM education activities beyond the scope of the Federal Government is crucial to the future technical and economic competitiveness of the United States. (b) Sense of congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the Nation’s future economic and national security relies on building a STEM-capable workforce in order to remain competitive in the global economy, foster greater innovation, and provide a foundation for shared prosperity