Sponsors (6)
The bill trades expanded emphasis on rapid, lower‑cost deployment of federal STEM/semiconductor programs and reduced agency-imposed requirements for reduced DEI measures, narrower hiring pathways, weaker labor and environmental safeguards, and increased uncertainty for institutions and underserved communities.
Tech workers, researchers, and students: Federal STEM and semiconductor programs would be prioritized for more rapid deployment, accelerating technology investment and creating jobs and research opportunities.
Small businesses, nonprofits, universities, and state/local grantees: Agencies would be limited from imposing new non‑statutory requirements, reducing administrative compliance burdens and helping keep federally funded project costs lower.
Applicants for federal programs (students and tech-sector job seekers): The bill affirms merit‑based recruitment without regard to protected characteristics, which proponents say could expand hiring and admissions based on qualifications.
Students, racial/ethnic minorities, women, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities: Removing or weakening DEI requirements and labeling DEI activities as discriminatory would reduce dedicated funding, staff positions, data collection, and programs meant to expand access for historically underrepresented groups in STEM and academia.
Grant recipients, universities, and state/local partners: A non‑binding congressional sense and restrictions on nonstatutory award conditions could politicize grantmaking, create uncertainty for applicants, and slow implementation of CHIPS/other federally funded projects.
Workers and unions: Bans on project labor agreements and limits on consultation with labor organizations would weaken union influence and could reduce negotiated worker protections, wages, and safety commitments on federally funded projects.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Removes or narrows DEI-related requirements in multiple science and semiconductor laws and bans agencies from imposing nonstatutory DEI, labor, community, environmental, or workforce conditions on federal funding.
Introduced May 13, 2025 by Thomas Bryant Cotton · Last progress May 13, 2025
Removes or narrows many diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) requirements across federal science, energy, and semiconductor programs and stops executive-branch agencies from adding nonstatutory conditions tying federal funding to workforce diversity, community investment, environmental or labor-related plans. It also expresses a nonbinding congressional view that DEI activities are discriminatory and that STEM workforce efforts should focus on speed and open talent regardless of protected characteristics. The bill changes multiple statutory authorities at agencies such as the Department of Energy and NIST, alters language in CHIPS- and R&D-related laws, and forbids agencies from imposing certain agency-created (nonstatutory) mandates on funding recipients related to DEI, labor agreements, climate or community mitigation plans, childcare services, and related workforce or community policies.