[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2506 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2506

   To establish an aviation maintenance workforce development pilot 
                                program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 7, 2018

 Mr. Inhofe (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Moran, and Ms. Cantwell) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
           Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish an aviation maintenance workforce development pilot 
                                program.

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

SECTION 1. AVIATION MAINTENANCE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
Administration may carry out a pilot program to provide grants for 
eligible projects to support the education and recruitment of aviation 
maintenance technical workers and the development of the aviation 
maintenance industry workforce.
    (b) Project Grants.--
            (1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
        $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2019 through 2023 to 
        provide grants under the pilot program established under 
        subsection (a).
            (2) Dollar amount limit.--Not more than $500,000 shall be 
        made available for any one-time grant in any fiscal year under 
        the pilot program established under subsection (a).
    (c) Eligible Applications.--An application for a grant under the 
pilot program established under subsection (a) shall be submitted, in 
such form as the committee established under subsection (e) may 
specify, jointly by--
            (1) a holder of a certificate issued under part 21, 121, 
        135, or 145 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, or a 
        labor organization representing aviation maintenance workers;
            (2) an accredited institution of higher education (as 
        defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001)); and
            (3) a State or local governmental entity.
    (d) Eligible Projects.--For purposes of the pilot program 
established under subsection (a), an eligible project is a project--
            (1) to establish new educational programs that teach 
        technical skills used in aviation maintenance, including 
        purchasing equipment, or to improve existing such programs;
            (2) to establish scholarships or apprenticeships for 
        individuals pursuing employment in the aviation maintenance 
        industry;
            (3) to support outreach about careers in the aviation 
        maintenance industry to--
                    (A) primary, secondary, and post-secondary school 
                students; or
                    (B) to communities underrepresented in the 
                industry;
            (4) to support educational opportunities related to 
        aviation maintenance in economically disadvantaged geographic 
        areas;
            (5) to support transition to careers in aviation 
        maintenance, including for members of the Armed Forces; or
            (6) to otherwise enhance aviation maintenance technical 
        education or the aviation maintenance industry workforce, as 
        determined by a unanimous vote of the committee established 
        under subsection (e).
    (e) Grant Application Review.--
            (1) Review committee.--The Administrator shall establish a 
        committee to review and select applications for grants under 
        the pilot program established under subsection (a).
            (2) Membership.--
                    (A) In general.--The committee established under 
                paragraph (1) shall be comprised of--
                            (i) representatives of aircraft repair 
                        stations, air carriers, design and production 
                        approval holders, labor organizations, business 
                        aviation, general aviation, educational 
                        institutions, and other relevant sectors; or
                            (ii) representatives of recognized industry 
                        groups representing entities described in 
                        clause (i).
                    (B) Limitation.--The committee established under 
                paragraph (1) shall have not more than 9 members.
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