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 postsecondary institutions of higher education that are located near marine or port facilities in the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, or Great Lakes 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 an associate degree to a baccalaureate degree, awarding credit for prior learning experience, and increasing cooperation with an appropriate federal agency or the National Science Foundation.  DOE shall give priority to institutions that have entered into a partnership with an appropriate federal agency. 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; or tuition reimbursement for successful completion of a maritime or energy course, program, or certification.   DOE may also award a grant to an eligible nonprofit organization (one with at least 10 years of expertise in working with community colleges on developing workforce development programs) to provide assistance in carrying out this Act.  DOE shall award a grant to to enable up to 10 eligible institutions that offer accredited programs in academic areas relevant to maritime or energy-related workforce training to: (1) establish Centers of Excellence in Maritime and Energy Workforce Technical Training; and (2) improve and expand maritime and energy workforce training opportunities through such Centers for veterans, members of the Armed Forces, federal employees, and civilians by implementing new training programs and providing job placement services in maritime and energy employment fields. 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

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

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate federal agency.--The term ``appropriate 
        Federal agency'' means--
                    (A) the Department of Defense;
                    (B) the Department of Energy;
                    (C) the Department of Homeland Security;
                    (D) the Department of Transportation; or
                    (E) the Department of Veterans Affairs.
            (2) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Energy.
            (4) Veteran.--The term ``veteran'' has the meaning given 
        the term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code.

SEC. 3. MARITIME AND ENERGY WORKFORCE TECHNICAL TRAINING ENHANCEMENT.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) Grants authorized.--The Secretary shall award grants to 
        eligible institutions to expand on existing programs in 
        maritime and energy workforce technical training, including 
        by--
                    (A) admitting more students to the program;
                    (B) training faculty;
                    (C) expanding facilities;
                    (D) creating new maritime career pathways, 
                including a pathway from an associate degree to a 
                baccalaureate degree;
                    (E) awarding credit for prior learning experience; 
                and
                    (F) increasing cooperation with, as applicable--
                            (i) an appropriate Federal agency; or
                            (ii) the National Science Foundation.
            (2) Eligible institutions.--To be eligible to receive a 
        grant under paragraph (1), an institution shall be an 
        institution of higher education that--
                    (A) is a community college or other public 
                postsecondary educational institution;
                    (B) is located in close proximity to marine or port 
                facilities in the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, 
                Pacific Ocean, or Great Lakes;
                    (C) offers a maritime training and education 
                program; and
                    (D) has an established association with--
                            (i) a port authority or other established 
                        seaport or inland port facility; and
                            (ii) an appropriate Federal agency.
            (3) Priority.--The Secretary shall give priority in 
        awarding grants under this subsection to eligible institutions 
        that have entered into a partnership with an appropriate 
        Federal agency.
            (4) Grant amounts.--Grants awarded under this subsection 
        shall be in amounts of not less than $1,000,000 and not more 
        than $1,500,000.
    (b) Requests for Applications.--
            (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 applications from eligible 
        institutions for grants under subsection (a).
            (2) Applications.--An eligible institution seeking a grant 
        under subsection (a) shall submit an application to the 
        Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
        information as the Secretary may require, including--
                    (A) demonstration of a willingness and ability to 
                participate in a partnership described in subsection 
                (a)(3); 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 subsection (a) shall use grant amounts to carry out--
                    (A) training relating to maritime or energy 
                transportation, logistics, and supply chain management;
                    (B) training relating to shipbuilding and ship 
                repair;
                    (C) enhancement of academic and workforce training 
                programs providing training for maritime and energy 
                employment, including certifications and 
                apprenticeships;
                    (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 training and education;
                    (G) renovation or construction of buildings to 
                house maritime or energy training and education 
                programs; or
                    (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 subsection (a) may not use greater than 
        50 percent of the grant amount to carry out paragraph (1)(G).
            (3) Admissions preference.--To the maximum extent 
        practicable, an eligible institution awarded a grant under 
        subsection (a) shall give preference to veterans in admission 
        to maritime or energy training and education programs.
            (4) Grant period.--An eligible institution awarded a grant 
        under subsection (a) may use the grant funds for the 3-year 
        period following the award of the grant.
    (d) Grant for Development of Grant Program.--
            (1) In general.--In developing the grant program under 
        subsection (a), the Secretary may award a grant to an eligible 
        nonprofit organization to provide assistance to the Secretary 
        in carrying out this section.
            (2) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        paragraph (1), a nonprofit organization shall have not fewer 
        than 10 years of experience in working with eligible 
        institutions on developing workforce development programs.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $12,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2016 through 2018.

SEC. 4. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE IN MARITIME AND ENERGY WORKFORCE 
              TECHNICAL TRAINING.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) Grants authorized.--The Secretary, in consultation with 
        the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Labor, 
        shall award grants to not more than 10 eligible institutions--
                    (A) to establish within each eligible institution 
                receiving a grant a center, to be known as a ``Center 
                of Excellence in Maritime and Energy Workforce 
                Technical Training'' (referred to in this section as a 
                ``Center''); and
                    (B) through the Center established under 
                subparagraph (A), to improve and expand maritime and 
                energy workforce training opportunities for veterans, 
                members of the Armed Forces, Federal employees, and 
                civilians by--
                            (i) implementing new training programs, 
                        including training programs in--
                                    (I) port-related transportation 
                                systems;
                                    (II) maritime and energy logistics 
                                and supply chain management;
                                    (III) small vessel repair;
                                    (IV) maintenance of navigation and 
                                deck cargo systems;
                                    (V) maintenance of sophisticated 
                                training equipment;
                                    (VI) port-related transportation, 
                                logistics, and supply chain management;
                                    (VII) shipbuilding and ship repair; 
                                and
                                    (VIII) operation and maintenance of 
                                equipment and technology for use in 
                                maritime and energy employment 
                                training; and
                            (ii) providing job placement services in 
                        maritime and energy employment fields.
            (2) Eligible institutions.--To be eligible to receive a 
        grant under paragraph (1), an institution shall be an 
        institution of higher education that--
                    (A) is a community college or other public 
                postsecondary educational institution;
                    (B) operates an existing maritime or energy 
                workforce training program;
                    (C) offers accredited programs in academic areas 
                relevant to maritime or energy-related workforce 
                training, including--
                            (i) port-related transportation, logistics, 
                        and supply chain management; and
                            (ii) shipbuilding and ship repair;
                    (D) is well-recognized in the field of maritime 
                workforce training; and
                    (E) has an established association with--
                            (i) a port authority or other established 
                        seaport or inland port facility; and
                            (ii) an appropriate Federal agency.
            (3) Priority.--
                    (A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the 
                Secretary shall give priority in awarding grants under 
                this section to eligible institutions that have entered 
                into, or demonstrate the willingness and ability to 
                enter into--
                            (i) a memorandum of understanding with an 
                        appropriate Federal agency; or
                            (ii) a cooperative agreement with an 
                        appropriate private entity, as determined by 
                        the Secretary.
                    (B) Memorandum of understanding and cooperative 
                agreement described.--A memorandum of understanding or 
                cooperative agreement referred to in subparagraph (A) 
                shall provide for--
                            (i) the provision of resources, whether in 
                        cash or in-kind, to the Center; or
                            (ii) assistance to the Center for--
                                    (I) building maritime or energy 
                                training capacity; or
                                    (II) training Federal employees in 
                                maritime fields.
            (4) Grant amount.--Grants awarded under paragraph (1) shall 
        be in amounts of not more than $1,500,000 per eligible 
        institution.
    (b) Requests for Applications.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue a request for 
        applications from eligible institutions for a grant under 
        subsection (a).
            (2) Applications.--An eligible institution seeking a grant 
        under subsection (a) shall submit an application to the 
        Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing 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--
                    (A) to develop an agenda for maritime and energy 
                training and education;
                    (B) to fund expansion of maritime and energy 
                training and education; or
                    (C) to publish or otherwise disseminate findings 
                relating to best practices in maritime and energy 
                training and education.
            (2) Grant period.--An eligible institution awarded a grant 
        under subsection (a) may use the grant funds for the 5-year 
        period following the award of the grant.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $12,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2016 through 2018.