Maritime and Energy Workforce Technical Training Enhancement Act

Summary: Maritime and Energy Workforce Technical Training Enhancement Act This bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to award grants to enable eligible community colleges and other public institutions of higher education to expand upon existing programs in maritime and energy workforce technical training, including by admitting more students, training faculty, expanding facilities, creating new maritime career pathways from associate degree to baccalaureate degree programs, and awarding credit for prior learning experience, or increasing cooperation with specified federal departments or the National Science Foundation. DOE shall give priority to institutions that have entered into a partnership with one of such departments.  DOE may also award a grant to a nonprofit organization with a track record of at least 10 years of expertise in working with community colleges on developing workforce development programs, to provide assistance in carrying out this Act.  Recipients shall use grant amounts for:  training related to maritime or energy transportation, logistics, and supply chain management or to shipbuilding and ship repair; enhancement of academic and workforce training programs for maritime and energy employment; salary supplementation for faculty in maritime or energy training and education; operation and maintenance of maritime or energy related equipment and technology for use in instructional programs; acquisition of marine vessels and other assets and equipment for use in maritime or energy related training and education; renovation or construction of buildings to house maritime or energy training and education programs; and tuition reimbursement for successful completion of a maritime or energy course, program, or certification.   The bill defines an &quot;eligible institution&quot; as a community college or other public postsecondary educational institution located in close proximity to marine or port facilities in the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, or Great Lakes that offers a maritime training and education program and that has an established association with a port authority and appropriate government agencies. DOE shall award a grant to to enable up to 10 eligible institutions to: (1) establish Centers of Excellence in Maritime and Energy Workforce Technical Training; and (2) improve and expand maritime and energy workforce training opportunities for veterans, members of the Armed Forces, federal employees, and civilians by implementing new programs in specified training areas, including port related transportation systems and job placement in maritime and energy related employment fields. 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Maritime and Energy Workforce 
Technical Training Enhancement Act''.

SEC. 2. MARITIME AND ENERGY WORKFORCE TECHNICAL TRAINING ENHANCEMENT.

    (a) Grants Required.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Energy (in this Act 
        referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall award grants to enable 
        eligible community colleges and other public institutions of 
        higher education to expand upon existing programs in maritime 
        and energy workforce technical training, including by admitting 
        more students, training faculty, expanding facilities, creating 
        new maritime career pathways from associate degree to 
        baccalaureate degree programs and awarding credit for prior 
        learning experience, or increasing cooperation with the 
        Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, the Department 
        of Homeland Security, the Department of Transportation, the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs, or the National Science 
        Foundation. In developing the grant program, the Secretary may 
        award a grant to a nonprofit organization with a track record 
        of at least 10 years of expertise in working with community 
        colleges on developing workforce development programs, to 
        provide assistance to the Secretary in carrying out the 
        requirements of this Act.
            (2) Priority.--The Secretary shall give priority in the 
        award of grants under this section to eligible institutions 
        that have entered into a partnership with the Department of 
        Energy, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland 
        Security, the Department of Transportation, or the Department 
        of Veterans Affairs.
            (3) Grant amounts.--Grants awarded under this section shall 
        be in amounts of not less than $1,000,000 and not more than 
        $1,500,000.
    (b) Requests for Proposals.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 2 years, the 
        Secretary shall issue a request for proposals from eligible 
        institutions for grants under this section.
            (2) Proposals.--An eligible institution that seeks the 
        award of a grant under this section shall submit an application 
        therefor to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 
        accompanied by such information as the Secretary may require, 
        including--
                    (A) demonstration of a willingness and ability to 
                participate in a partnership described in subsection 
                (a)(2), if any; and
                    (B) a commitment, and demonstration of an ability, 
                to maintain maritime and energy workforce technical 
                training programs after the end of the grant period.
    (c) Grant Uses.--
            (1) In general.--An eligible institution awarded a grant 
        under this section shall use grant amounts to carry out any of 
        the following:
                    (A) Training related to maritime or energy 
                transportation, logistics, and supply chain management.
                    (B) Training related to shipbuilding and ship 
                repair.
                    (C) Enhancement of academic and workforce training 
                programs, to include certifications and 
                apprenticeships, providing training for maritime and 
                energy employment.
                    (D) Salary supplementation for faculty in maritime 
                or energy training and education.
                    (E) Operation and maintenance of maritime or energy 
                related equipment and technology for use in 
                instructional programs.
                    (F) Acquisition of marine vessels, safety 
                equipment, ship simulators, electronic navigation 
                devices, fire suppression equipment, physical and 
                chemical measuring instruments, sampling devices, and 
                other assets and equipment for use in maritime or 
                energy related training and education.
                    (G) Renovation or construction of buildings to 
                house maritime or energy training and education 
                programs.
                    (H) Tuition reimbursement for successful completion 
                of a maritime or energy course, program, or 
                certification.
            (2) Limitation on construction.--An eligible institution 
        awarded a grant under this section may use not more than 50 
        percent of the grant amount to carry out paragraph (1)(G).
            (3) Admissions preference.--An eligible institution awarded 
        a grant under this section shall give preference in admission 
        to maritime or energy training and education programs to 
        veterans, to the extent practicable.
            (4) Period of use of funds.--An eligible institution 
        awarded a grant under this section may use the grant funds for 
        a period of three years after the award of the grant.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``eligible institution'' means a community 
        college or other public postsecondary educational institution 
        located in close proximity to marine or port facilities in the 
        Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, or Great Lakes 
        offering a maritime training and education program, and which 
        has an established association with--
                    (A) a port authority or other established seaport 
                or inland port facility; and
                    (B) the Department of Energy, the Department of 
                Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, the 
                Department of Transportation, the Department of 
                Veterans Affairs, or other appropriate government 
                agencies.
            (2) The term ``veteran'' has the meaning given that term in 
        section 101 of title 38, United States Code.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary for each of fiscal years 2016, 2017, and 
2018, $12,000,000 to carry out this section.

SEC. 3. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE IN MARITIME AND ENERGY WORKFORCE 
              TECHNICAL TRAINING.

    (a) Grants for Establishment of Centers.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
        Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Labor, shall 
        award a grant to no more than 10 eligible institutions to 
        enable the eligible institutions to--
                    (A) establish Centers of Excellence in Maritime and 
                Energy Workforce Technical Training (in this section 
                referred to as the ``Centers''); and
                    (B) enable eligible institutions to improve and 
                expand maritime and energy workforce training 
                opportunities for veterans, members of the Armed 
                Forces, Federal employees, and civilians by 
                implementing new programs in such training areas as--
                            (i) port related transportation systems, 
                        maritime and energy logistics and supply chain 
                        management, small vessel repair, maintenance of 
                        navigation and deck cargo systems, maintenance 
                        of sophisticated training equipment, port 
                        related transportation, logistics, and supply 
                        chain management, shipbuilding and ship repair, 
                        operation and maintenance of equipment and 
                        technology for use in maritime and energy 
                        employment training; and
                            (ii) job placement in maritime and energy 
                        related employment fields.
            (2) Priority.--The Secretary shall give priority in the 
        award of grants under this section to eligible institutions 
        that have in force, or demonstrate the willingness and ability 
        to enter into, memoranda of understanding with the Department 
        of Energy, the Department of Defense, the Department of 
        Homeland Security, the Department of Transportation, the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs, or other appropriate government 
        agencies, or a cooperative agreement with an appropriate 
        private sector entity, which memorandum of understanding or 
        cooperative agreement provides for either, or both, of the 
        following:
                    (A) The provision of resources, whether in cash or 
                in kind, to the Center.
                    (B) Assistance for the Center in building maritime 
                or energy training capacity, or in training Federal 
                employees in maritime fields.
            (3) Grant amount.--Grants awarded under this section shall 
        be in amounts of not more than $1,500,000 per Center.
    (b) Requests for Proposals.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue a request for 
        proposals from eligible institutions for a grant under this 
        section.
            (2) Proposals.--An eligible institution that seeks the 
        award of the grant under this section shall submit an 
        application therefor to the Secretary at such time, in such 
        manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary 
        may require.
    (c) Grant Uses.--
            (1) In general.--An eligible institution awarded a grant 
        under this section shall use the grant amount for purposes as 
        follows:
                    (A) To develop an agenda for maritime and energy 
                training and education.
                    (B) To fund expansion of maritime and energy 
                training and education.
                    (C) To publish or otherwise disseminate findings 
                relating to best practices in maritime and energy 
                training and education.
            (2) Period of use of funds.--Eligible institutions awarded 
        grants under this section may use the grant amount for a period 
        of five years after the award of the grant.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``eligible institution'' means a community 
        college or other public educational institution located in 
        close proximity to port or other marine facilities on the Gulf 
        of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, or Great Lakes that--
                    (A) operates an existing maritime or energy 
                workforce training program;
                    (B) offers accredited programs in academic areas 
                such as port related transportation, logistics, and 
                supply chain management and shipbuilding and ship 
                repair, among other areas relevant to maritime or 
                energy related workforce training;
                    (C) is well recognized in the field of maritime 
                workforce training; and
                    (D) has an established association with--
                            (i) a port authority; and
                            (ii) the Department of Energy, the 
                        Department of Defense, the Department of 
                        Homeland Security, the Department of 
                        Transportation, the Department of Veterans 
                        Affairs, or other appropriate government 
                        agencies.
            (2) The term ``veteran'' has the meaning given that term in 
        section 101 of title 38, United States Code.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary for each of fiscal years 2016, 2017, and 
2018, $12,000,000 to carry out this section.