[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 758 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 758

  To establish an interagency aerospace revitalization task force to 
   develop a national strategy for aerospace workforce recruitment, 
                       training, and cultivation.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 10, 2005

 Mr. Ehlers (for himself, Mr. Smith of Washington, Mrs. Tauscher, and 
    Mr. Weldon of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was 
        referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish an interagency aerospace revitalization task force to 
   develop a national strategy for aerospace workforce recruitment, 
                       training, and cultivation.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The aerospace industry generates nearly 15 percent of 
        the gross domestic product of the United States, supports 
        approximately 11,000,000 jobs in the United States, and leads 
        the United States economy in net exports.
            (2) The aerospace industry contributes directly to the 
        economic and national security of the United States through 
        military, space, air transport, and information technology 
        applications.
            (3) A skilled and educated workforce represents the most 
        valuable asset of the United States economy.
            (4) In 2004, total employment in the aerospace industry 
        fell to its lowest point in 50 years.
            (5) 27 percent of the aerospace manufacturing workforce 
        will become eligible for retirement by 2008.
            (6) Students in the United States rank near the bottom of 
        the leading industrialized countries of the world in 
        mathematics and science test performance.
            (7) To ensure the stability of high-skilled jobs and the 
        global competitiveness of the domestic aerospace industry, the 
        United States requires coordinated Federal Government policies 
        to sustain and expand the science, mathematics, engineering, 
        and manufacturing workforce.

SEC. 2. INTERAGENCY AEROSPACE REVITALIZATION TASK FORCE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established a task force to be known 
as the ``Interagency Aerospace Revitalization Task Force'' (in this 
section referred to as the ``Task Force'').
    (b) Duties.--The Task Force shall develop a strategy for the 
Federal Government for aerospace workforce development, including 
strategies for--
            (1) maximizing cooperation among departments and agencies 
        of the Federal Government and the use of resources of the 
        Federal Government in fulfilling demand for a skilled workforce 
        across all vocational classifications;
            (2) developing integrated Federal Government policies to 
        promote and monitor public and private sector programs for 
        science, engineering, technology, mathematics, and skilled 
        trades education and training; and
            (3) establishing partnerships with industry, organized 
        labor, academia, and State and local governments to--
                    (A) collect and disseminate information on 
                occupational requirements and projected employment 
                openings; and
                    (B) coordinate appropriate agency resources, 
                including grants, loans, and scholarships, for the 
                advancement of workforce education, training, and 
                certification programs.
    (c) Membership.--
            (1) Number and appointment.--The Task Force shall be 
        composed of 11 members who shall be appointed as follows:
                    (A) One member shall be the Assistant Secretary of 
                Labor for Employment and Training.
                    (B) One member shall be a representative of the 
                Department of Commerce and shall be appointed by the 
                Secretary of Commerce.
                    (C) One member shall be a representative of the 
                Department of Defense and shall be appointed by the 
                Secretary of Defense.
                    (D) One member shall be a representative of the 
                Department of Homeland Security and shall be appointed 
                by the Secretary of Homeland Security.
                    (E) One member shall be a representative of the 
                Department of Education and shall be appointed by the 
                Secretary of Education.
                    (F) One member shall be a representative of the 
                Department of Transportation and shall be appointed by 
                the Secretary of Transportation.
                    (G) One member shall be a representative of the 
                Department of Energy and shall be appointed by the 
                Secretary of Energy.
                    (H) One member shall be a representative of the 
                National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 
                and shall be appointed by the Administrator of NASA.
                    (I) One member shall be a representative of the 
                National Science Foundation (NSF) and shall be 
                appointed by the Director of the NSF.
                    (J) Two members shall be appointed by the 
                President.
            (2) Chairperson.--The Assistant Secretary of Labor for 
        Employment and Training shall serve as the chairperson of the 
        Task Force.
            (3) Deadline for appointment.--Each member shall be 
        appointed to the Task Force not later than 90 days after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act.
            (4) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Task Force shall be filled 
        in the manner in which the original appointment was made.
            (5) Prohibition of compensation.--Members of the Task Force 
        may not receive pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of their 
        service on the Task Force.
    (d) Meetings.--
            (1) In general.--The Task Force shall meet at the call of 
        the Chairperson.
            (2) Frequency.--The Task Force shall meet not less than two 
        times each year.
            (3) Quorum.--6 members of the Task Force shall constitute a 
        quorum.
    (e) Annual Reports.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for four years, the Task 
Force shall submit to Congress, and make available to the public, a 
report detailing the activities of the Task Force and containing the 
findings, strategies, recommendations, policies, and initiatives 
developed pursuant to the duties of the Task Force under subsection 
(b).
    (f) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate on the date of the 
submission of the final report under subsection (e).
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