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ONEIDA COUNTY, N.Y. -- The importance of science, technology, engineering and math, also known as STEM, is continually growing in education and in the work force. But officials say these high paying jobs are going unfilled as there are not enough qualified applicants.

Congressman Richard Hanna is working to create a bill that would encourage students to enter into these types of fields. He formally introduced his “STEM Education Opportunity Act.” It would let any tax payer claim a tax deduction on all educational expenses toward a STEM focused career.

College officials at SUNY IT say this bill would be a huge asset for their students.

"Students would be able to graduate with lower debt or if they have debt, they can pay it off faster so it will be a really great thing for them and this will be one of those stepping stones that's going to build our economy back where it once was," said SUNY IT President Wolf Yeigh.

Hanna sat down with students from SUNY's Institute of Technology to answer questions and receive feedback about the proposed bill. He says it's a work in progress and is looking to find someone from the Senate to sponsor it.

Hanna is currently running against Democratic Congressional Candidate Dan Lamb for a seat in the newly formed 22nd Congressional District.