[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4161 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4161

       To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish an 
 apprenticeship program for students at flight schools, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 15, 2023

Mr. Donalds (for himself, Ms. Crockett, Mr. Mann, Mr. Nehls, Mr. Gosar, 
  Mr. Santos, and Ms. Mace) introduced the following bill; which was 
     referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
       To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish an 
 apprenticeship program for students at flight schools, and for other 
                               purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Pre-Pilot Pathway Act''.

SEC. 2. APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM FOR PILOTS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Apprentice.--The term ``apprentice'' means a student 
        enrolled at a flight school.
            (2) Flight school.--The term ``flight school'' means a 
        flight academy certified under part 141 of title 14, Code of 
        Federal Regulations.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Transportation.
    (b) Establishment.--The Secretary, in consultation with flight 
schools and other industry stakeholders, shall establish an 
apprenticeship program with flight schools to establish a pipeline of 
qualified and interested individuals to become commercial pilots.
    (c) Selection.--Under the apprenticeship program established under 
subsection (b), each flight school participating in the apprenticeship 
program established under subsection (b) may select up to 8 applicants 
to flight school to serve as apprentices each academic year.
    (d) Curriculum and Requirements.--
            (1) In general.--To graduate from an apprenticeship program 
        established under subsection (b), an apprentice shall satisfy 
        any relevant requirements and minimum curriculum under part 141 
        of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor 
        regulations), including all curriculum under subpart C of such 
        part.
            (2) Minimum requirements.--Nothing in this Act prevents a 
        flight school from imposing additional requirements, such as 
        modifying the terms of service of the apprenticeship program, 
        on an apprentice taking part in an apprenticeship program 
        established pursuant to this section.
    (e) Optional Program.--A flight school may choose not to 
participate in an apprenticeship program established under this 
section.
    (f) Regulations.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary shall issue such regulations as are 
necessary to implement this Act.
    (g) Incentivizing Retired Pilots.--The Secretary shall take such 
actions as may be appropriate to develop methods to incentivize pilots, 
including retired military pilots, retiring airline pilots, and 
graduates of the apprenticeship program established under this section, 
to become instructors at flight schools, including through the 
development of pathway programs for such pilots to gain initial 
qualification or concurrent qualification as certified flight 
instructors under part 61 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.
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