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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1177 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 423
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Alan Silvia
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act establishing the Abigail Adams entrepreneurial program for women.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Alan Silvia7th Bristol1/18/2023Patricia A. Haddad5th Bristol1/24/2023Paul A. Schmid, III8th Bristol2/1/2023Patrick M. O'ConnorFirst Plymouth and Norfolk2/8/2023Priscila S. Sousa6th Middlesex2/15/2023 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1177 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 423
By Representative Silvia of Fall River, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 423) of Alan
Silvia and others for legislation to establish the Abigail Adams center for women in STEM to
provide opportunities for women in the workforce in science, technology, engineering and
mathematics professions. Economic Development and Emerging Technologies.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 533 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act establishing the Abigail Adams entrepreneurial program for women.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. This act shall be known as the Abigail Adams Entrepreneurship Act.
2 SECTION 2. The general court hereby finds and declares that:-
3 (i) women make up almost 50 per cent of the workforce, but less than 25 per cent of the
4workforce in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions;
5 (ii) women are less likely to focus on the STEM disciplines in undergraduate and
6graduate study;
7 (iii) only 26 per cent of women who do attain degrees in STEM fields work in STEM
8jobs; 2 of 3
9 (iv) there is an increasing demand for individuals with STEM degrees to extend their
10focus beyond the laboratory so they can be leaders in discovery commercialization;
11 (v) studies have shown that technology and commercialization ventures are successful
12when women are in top management positions; and
13 (vi) it’s vital to encourage the commonwealth’s entrepreneurial programs to recruit and
14support women to extend their focus beyond the laboratory and into the commercial world.
15 SECTION 3. Subsection (b) of section 2RR of chapter 29 is hereby amended by adding
16the following clause:-
17 (4) To provide grants to create and maintain more favorable small business opportunities
18and workplace environments for women in science technology engineering and mathematics
19(STEM) professions through the Abigail Adams Center for Women in STEM established
20pursuant to section 6B of chapter 40J.
21 SECTION 4. Chapter 40 J of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition,
22is hereby amended by inserting after section 6A the following section:-
23 Section 6B. (a) The corporation shall establish an entrepreneurial institute for technology
24and commercialization ventures to provide opportunities for women in the workforce in science,
25technology, engineering and mathematics professions to be known as the Abigail Adams Center
26for Women in STEM. The executive director of the corporation shall appoint a qualified
27individual is director to manage the affairs of the center.
28 The purpose of the center shall be to serve as an agent for the commonwealth to create
29and maintain more favorable small business opportunities and workplace environments for 3 of 3
30women in science technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) professions. The center
31shall provide development support for women in STEM small businesses and in the workplace.
32The center shall work in collaboration with the Massachusetts technology collaborative, the
33Massachusetts office of business development, the office of small business and entrepreneurship,
34other quasi-public and not-for-profit agencies.
35 (b) The center shall provide the following support and assistance to women in STEM
36professions:
37 (i)assistance with grants for startup expenses and project costs;
38 (ii)small business incubator development;
39 (iii)entrepreneurial training;
40 (iv)STEM industry networking support;
41 (v)business plan preparation;
42 (vi)market research;
43 (vii)workforce development; and
44 (viii)business assistance services and marketing expenses
45 (c) The center may make grants to further the purposes of this section.