Amended in Assembly March 31, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 133

Introduced by Assembly Member Chang

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(Coauthors: Assembly Members Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen, Baker, Bloom, Bonilla, Brough, Burke, Chau, Chávez, Chiu, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto, Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gray, Hadley, Holden, Irwin, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Kim, Lackey, Levine, Linder, Lopez, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Mullin, Nazarian, Obernolte, O’Donnell, Olsen, Patterson, Quirk, Rendon, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, Williams, and Wood)

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February 3, 2016

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 133—Relative to Women and Girls in STEM Week.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

ACR 133, as amended, Chang. Women and Girls in STEM Week.

This measure would designate April 3, 2016, to April 9, 2016, inclusive, as Women and Girls in STEM Week and would encourage all citizens and community organizations to support the observance of California Women and Girls in STEM Week by encouraging and celebrating women in the STEM fields.

Fiscal committee: no.

WHEREAS, Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM) are critical fields for the success of
California’s economy; and

WHEREAS, Many of the fastest growing occupations in the
United States require some form of expertise in the areas of STEM;
and

WHEREAS, STEM careers represent some of the highest-paying
positions in any field, thereby providing desirable career
opportunities and real pathways out of poverty; and

WHEREAS, Preparing students for the STEM workforce is
essential to fulfill the demands of our 21st century,
innovation-focused economy; and

WHEREAS, A significant gender gap exists in the participation
of STEM disciplines and workforce; and

WHEREAS, Women earn nearly 60 percent of bachelor’s
degrees, but are underrepresented in STEM-related college degrees,
especially in the computer sciences and engineering fields; and

WHEREAS, According to the Census Bureau, while women
make up nearly one-half of the working population, they only
represent 26 percent of the STEM workforce; and

WHEREAS, Women represented 34 percent of computer
occupations in 1990, but that number declined to 27 percent by
2011; and

WHEREAS, Women in STEM professions earn one-third more
than women in non-STEM-related occupations; and

WHEREAS, In California the gender disparities among STEM
fields are similar if not more pronounced. Only 15 percent of
engineering graduates in California are women and only 15 percent
of engineers in the workforce are women; and

WHEREAS, Despite underrepresentation in the STEM fields,
there are many California female leaders who represent the STEM
community and serve as role models for young girls preparing for
STEM careers; and

WHEREAS, Today’s women leaders in STEM stand on the
shoulders of innovators that came before them, such as Grace
Murray Hopper, a pioneer in her field who is credited for inventing
the first computer language compiler; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature encourages all citizens
and community organizations to support the observance of
California Women and Girls in STEM Week by encouraging and
celebrating women in the STEM fields; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature declares April 3, 2016, to April
9, 2016, inclusive, as Women and Girls in STEM Week; and be
it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.