[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4320 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4320

    To provide for the establishment of the Bessie Coleman Women in 
                      Aviation Advisory Committee.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 9, 2024

  Mr. Peters introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To provide for the establishment of the Bessie Coleman Women in 
                      Aviation Advisory Committee.

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

SECTION 1. BESSIE COLEMAN WOMEN IN AVIATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish the Bessie Coleman 
Women in Aviation Advisory Committee (in this section referred to as 
the ``Committee'').
    (b) Purpose.--The Committee shall advise the Secretary and the 
Administrator on matters and policies related to promoting the 
recruitment, retention, employment, education, training, career 
advancement, and well-being of women in the aviation industry and 
aviation-focused Federal civil service positions.
    (c) Form of Directives.--All activities carried out by the 
Committee, including special committees, shall be in response to 
written terms of work from the Secretary or taskings approved by a 
majority of the voting members of the Committee and may not duplicate 
the objectives of the Air Carrier Training Aviation Rulemaking 
Committee.
    (d) Functions.--In carrying out the directives described in 
subsection (c), the functions of the Committee are as follows:
            (1) Foster industry collaboration in an open and 
        transparent manner by engaging, as prescribed by this section, 
        with representatives of the private sector associated with an 
        entity described in subsection (e)(1)(B).
            (2) Make recommendations for strategic objectives, 
        priorities, and policies that would improve the recruitment, 
        retention, training, and career advancement of women in 
        aviation professions.
            (3) Evaluate opportunities for the FAA to improve the 
        recruitment and retention of women in the FAA.
            (4) Periodically review and update the recommendations 
        directed to the FAA and non-FAA entities produced by the 
        Advisory Board created pursuant to section 612 of the FAA 
        Reauthorization Act of 2018 (49 U.S.C. 40101 note) to improve 
        the implementation of such recommendations.
            (5) Coordinate with the Office of Civil Rights of the 
        Department of Transportation and the Federal Women's Program of 
        the FAA to ensure directives described in subsection (c) do not 
        duplicate objectives of such office or program.
    (e) Membership.--
            (1) Voting members.--The Committee shall be composed of the 
        following members:
                    (A) The Administrator, or the designee of the 
                Administrator.
                    (B) At least 25 individuals, appointed by the 
                Secretary, representing the following:
                            (i) Aircraft manufacturers and aerospace 
                        companies.
                            (ii) Public and private aviation labor 
                        organizations, including collective bargaining 
                        representatives of--
                                    (I) aviation safety inspectors and 
                                safety engineers of the FAA;
                                    (II) air traffic controllers;
                                    (III) certified aircraft 
                                maintenance technicians; and
                                    (IV) commercial airline 
                                crewmembers.
                            (iii) General aviation operators.
                            (iv) Air carriers.
                            (v) Business aviation operators, including 
                        powered-lift operators.
                            (vi) Unmanned aircraft systems operators.
                            (vii) Aviation safety management experts.
                            (viii) Aviation maintenance, repair, and 
                        overhaul entities.
                            (ix) Airport owners, operators, and 
                        employees.
                            (x) Institutions of higher education (as 
                        defined in section 101 of the Higher Education 
                        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)), a postsecondary 
                        vocational institution (as defined in section 
                        102(c) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
                        U.S.C. 1002)), or a high school or secondary 
                        school (as such terms are defined in section 
                        8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
                        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)).
                            (xi) A flight school that provides flight 
                        training, as defined in part 61 of title 14, 
                        Code of Federal Regulations, or that holds a 
                        pilot school certificate under part 141 of 
                        title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.
                            (xii) Aviation maintenance technician 
                        schools governed under part 147 of title 14, 
                        Code of Federal Regulations.
                            (xiii) Engineering business associations.
                            (xiv) Civil Air Patrol.
                            (xv) Nonprofit organizations within the 
                        aviation industry.
            (2) Nonvoting members.--
                    (A) In general.--In addition to the members 
                appointed under paragraph (1), the Committee shall be 
                composed of not more than 5 nonvoting members appointed 
                by the Secretary from among officers or employees of 
                the FAA, at least 1 of which shall be an employee of 
                the Office of Civil Rights of the FAA.
                    (B) Additional nonvoting members.--The Secretary 
                may invite representatives from the Department of 
                Education and Department of Labor to serve as nonvoting 
                members on the Committee.
                    (C) Duties.--The nonvoting members may--
                            (i) take part in deliberations of the 
                        Committee; and
                            (ii) provide subject matter expertise with 
                        respect to reports and recommendations of the 
                        Committee.
                    (D) Limitation.--The nonvoting members may not 
                represent any stakeholder interest other than that of 
                the respective Federal agency of the member.
            (3) Terms.--Each voting member and nonvoting member of the 
        Committee appointed by the Secretary shall be appointed for a 
        term that expires not later than the date on which the 
        authorization of the Committee expires under subsection (l).
            (4) Committee characteristics.--The Committee shall have 
        the following characteristics:
                    (A) The ability to obtain necessary information 
                from additional experts in the aviation and aerospace 
                communities.
                    (B) A membership that enables the Committee to have 
                substantive discussions and reach consensus on issues 
                in a timely manner.
                    (C) Appropriate expertise, including expertise in 
                human resources, human capital management, policy, 
                labor relations, employment training, workforce 
                development, and youth outreach.
            (5) Date.--Not later than 9 months after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall make the 
        appointments described in this subsection.
    (f) Chairperson.--
            (1) In general.--The Committee shall select a chairperson 
        from among the voting members of the Committee.
            (2) Term.--The Chairperson shall serve a 2-year term.
    (g) Meetings.--
            (1) Frequency.--The Committee shall meet at least twice 
        each year at the call of the Chairperson or the Secretary.
            (2) Public attendance.--The meetings of the Committee shall 
        be open and accessible to the public.
            (3) Administrative support.--The Secretary shall furnish 
        the Committee with logistical and administrative support to 
        enable the Committee to perform the duties of the Committee.
    (h) Special Committees.--
            (1) Establishment.--The Committee may establish special 
        committees composed of industry representatives, members of the 
        public, labor representatives, and other relevant parties in 
        complying with the consultation and participation requirements 
        under subsection (d).
            (2) Applicable law.--Chapter 10 of title 5, United States 
        Code, shall not apply to a special committee established by the 
        Committee.
    (i) Personnel Matters.--
            (1) No compensation of members.--
                    (A) Non-federal employees.--A member of the 
                Committee who is not an officer or employee of the 
                Government shall serve without compensation.
                    (B) Federal employees.--A member of the Committee 
                who is an officer or employee of the Federal Government 
                shall serve without compensation in addition to the 
                compensation received for the services of the member as 
                an officer or employee of the Federal Government.
            (2) Death or resignation.--If a member of the Committee 
        dies or resigns during the term of service of such member, the 
        Secretary shall designate a successor for the unexpired term of 
        such member.
    (j) Reports.--
            (1) Task reports.--The Committee shall submit to the 
        Secretary and the appropriate committees of Congress annual 
        reports detailing the completion of each directive summarizing 
        the--
                    (A) findings and associated recommendations of the 
                Committee for any legislative and administrative 
                actions the Committee considers appropriate to improve 
                the advancement of women in aviation; and
                    (B) planned activities of the Committee, as 
                directed by the Secretary or approved by a majority of 
                voting members of the Committee, and proposed terms of 
                work to fulfill each activity.
            (2) Additional reports.--The Committee may submit to the 
        appropriate committees of Congress, the Secretary, and the 
        Administrator additional reports and recommendations related to 
        education, training, recruitment, retention, and advancement of 
        women in the aviation industry as the Committee determines 
        appropriate.
    (k) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the FAA.
            (2) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means the Committee on 
        Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the 
        Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
        Representatives.
            (3) FAA.--The term ``FAA'' means the Federal Aviation 
        Administration.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Transportation.
    (l) Sunset.--The authorization of the Committee shall expire on 
October 1, 2028.
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