II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5324 

To amend the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 to extend the existing 

aviation workforce development programs and provide grants to develop 

aviation manufacturing and supplier workforce, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 20, 2022 

Mr. KELLY (for himself and Mrs. FISCHER) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 

Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To amend the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 to extend 

the existing aviation workforce development programs 

and provide grants to develop aviation manufacturing 

and supplier workforce, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Aviation Workforce, 

5 Opportunity, Recruiting, Knowledge, and Supply Act’’ or 

6 the ‘‘Aviation WORKS Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. EXTENSION AND EXPANSION OF AVIATION WORK2 FORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. 

3 Section 625 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 

4 (49 U.S.C. 40101 note) is amended— 

5 (1) in subsection (a)— 

6 (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

7 the end; 

8 (B) in paragraph (2), by striking the pe9 riod at the end and inserting a semicolon; and 

10 (C) by adding at the end the following new 

11 paragraphs: 

12 ‘‘(3) a program to provide grants for eligible 

13 projects— 

14 ‘‘(A) to develop the aviation manufacturing 

15 and supplier workforce; or 

16 ‘‘(B) to develop and support the education 

17 of workers who design or produce any aircraft, 

18 aircraft engine, propeller, or appliance, or a 

19 component, part, or system thereof, that— 

20 ‘‘(i) is produced under a production 

21 approval issued by the Federal Aviation 

22 Administration; 

23 ‘‘(ii) has been issued a design ap24 proval by the Federal Aviation Administra25 tion; or 


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1 ‘‘(iii) has an active application for a 

2 design approval; and 

3 ‘‘(4) a program to provide grants for eligible 

4 projects to plan, establish, and expand workforce de5 velopment partnership programs in the aviation and 

6 aerospace industry sector.’’; 

7 (2) in subsection (b)— 

8 (A) by redesignating paragraph (2) as 

9 paragraph (3); and 

10 (B) by inserting after paragraph (1) the 

11 following new paragraph: 

12 ‘‘(2) SUBSEQUENT FUNDING.—There is author13 ized to be appropriated— 

14 ‘‘(A) $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 

15 2024 through 2028 to provide grants under the 

16 program established under subsection (a)(1); 

17 ‘‘(B) $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 

18 2024 through 2028 to provide grants under the 

19 program established under subsection (a)(2); 

20 ‘‘(C) $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 

21 2024 through 2028 to provide grants under the 

22 program established under subsection (a)(3); 

23 and 


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1 ‘‘(D) $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 

2 2024 through 2028 to provide grants under the 

3 program established under subsection (a)(4).’’; 

4 (3) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the 

5 following new paragraphs: 

6 ‘‘(3) An application for a grant under the pro7 gram established under subsection (a)(3) shall be 

8 submitted, in such form as the Secretary may speci9 fy, by— 

10 ‘‘(A) an aviation company that actively de11 signs or produces any aircraft, aircraft engine, 

12 propeller, or appliance, or a component, part, or 

13 system thereof, covered under Federal Aviation 

14 Administration design approval or application 

15 for design approval— 

16 ‘‘(i) that— 

17 ‘‘(I) operates a SAE AS9100-cer18 tified process related to the design, 

19 development, or provision of an avia20 tion product or service, including a 

21 part, component or assembly; 

22 ‘‘(II) holds or operates under a 

23 type or production certificate under 

24 section 44704 of title 49, United 


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1 States Code, or similar authorization; 

2 or 

3 ‘‘(III) has an active type certifi4 cate application accepted by the Fed5 eral Aviation Administration; or 

6 ‘‘(ii) which— 

7 ‘‘(I) is established, created, or or8 ganized in the United States or under 

9 the laws of the United States; and 

10 ‘‘(II) has significant operations 

11 in the United States, and a majority 

12 of its employees engaged in aviation 

13 manufacturing or development activi14 ties and services, or aviation mainte15 nance, repair, or overhaul activities 

16 and services based in the United 

17 States; or 

18 ‘‘(B) an accredited institution of higher 

19 education (as such term is defined in paragraph 

20 (1)(B)) or a high school or a secondary school 

21 (as such terms are defined in such paragraph) 

22 that has or is working to establish an aviation 

23 manufacturing program. 

24 ‘‘(4) An application for a grant under the pro25 gram established under subsection (a)(4) shall— 


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1 ‘‘(A) be submitted, in such form as the 

2 Secretary may specify, by a partnership that— 

3 ‘‘(i) is an industry or sector partner4 ship (as such term is defined in section 3 

5 of the Workforce Innovation and Oppor6 tunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102)), or is in the 

7 process of establishing an industry or sec8 tor partnership; 

9 ‘‘(ii) includes an air carrier (as such 

10 term is defined in paragraph (1)(A)), a 

11 flight school described in paragraph 

12 (1)(C), a holder of a certificate described 

13 in paragraph (2)(A), or an aviation com14 pany described in paragraph (3)(A); 

15 ‘‘(iii) is comprised of multiple employ16 ers from the aviation and aerospace indus17 try; 

18 ‘‘(iv) may include not more than 1 en19 tity that is a previous recipient of grant 

20 funding from any program established 

21 under paragraphs (1) through (3) of sub22 section (a), but such entity may not serve 

23 as a fiscal agent (as described in subpara24 graph (B)); and 


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1 ‘‘(v) does not include an entity that is 

2 a current recipient of grant funding from 

3 any program established under paragraphs 

4 (1) through (3) of subsection (a), unless 

5 the application demonstrates that any 

6 grant funding currently received by the en7 tity would expire or otherwise cease prior 

8 to the receipt of the grant funding under 

9 paragraph (4) of subsection (a); 

10 ‘‘(B) designate a partner from within the 

11 partnership, or an intermediary which may be 

12 a State or local workforce board or an accred13 ited institution of higher education (as such 

14 term is defined in paragraph (1)(B)), to serve 

15 as the fiscal agent for the grant; and 

16 ‘‘(C) instruct the fiscal agent designated 

17 under subparagraph (B) to, as appropriate— 

18 ‘‘(i) receive funds; 

19 ‘‘(ii) ensure sustained fiscal integrity 

20 and accountability for expenditures of 

21 funds in accordance with Federal Aviation 

22 Administration regulations; 

23 ‘‘(iii) respond to audit financial find24 ings; 


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1 ‘‘(iv) maintain proper accounting 

2 records and documentation; and 

3 ‘‘(v) prepare financial reports.’’; 

4 (4) in subsection (d)— 

5 (A) in paragraph (2), in the matter pre6 ceding subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘pilot’’; 

7 and 

8 (B) by adding at the end the following new 

9 paragraphs: 

10 ‘‘(3) For purposes of the program established 

11 under subsection (a)(3), an eligible project is a 

12 project— 

13 ‘‘(A) to establish or support educational 

14 programs that teach technical skills used in 

15 aviation manufacturing, including the produc16 tion of components, parts, or systems thereof 

17 for inclusion in an aircraft, aircraft engine, pro18 peller, or appliance; 

19 ‘‘(B) to establish scholarships, internships, 

20 or apprenticeships for individuals pursuing em21 ployment in the aviation manufacturing indus22 try; 

23 ‘‘(C) to support outreach about careers in 

24 the aviation manufacturing industry to— 


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1 ‘‘(i) primary, secondary, and post-sec2 ondary school students; or 

3 ‘‘(ii) to communities underrepresented 

4 in the industry; 

5 ‘‘(D) to support educational opportunities 

6 related to aviation manufacturing in economi7 cally disadvantaged geographic areas; 

8 ‘‘(E) to support transition to careers in 

9 aviation manufacturing, including for members 

10 of the Armed Forces; or 

11 ‘‘(F) to otherwise enhance aviation manu12 facturing technical education or the aviation 

13 manufacturing industry workforce. 

14 ‘‘(4) For purposes of the program established 

15 under subsection (a)(4), an eligible project is a 

16 project— 

17 ‘‘(A) to carry out planning and partner de18 velopment activities, which may include— 

19 ‘‘(i) convening key stakeholders as 

20 identified in the application process to es21 tablish or expand educational programs 

22 that teach technical skills used in pilot 

23 training, aviation maintenance, or aviation 

24 manufacturing; 


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1 ‘‘(ii) conducting outreach to local 

2 businesses and business associations, in3 cluding activities to increase marketing 

4 and activity visibility within the commu5 nity; 

6 ‘‘(iii) conducting an evaluation of 

7 workforce needs in the local area; 

8 ‘‘(iv) conducting survey and planning 

9 activities for partnership-related infra10 structure needs; or 

11 ‘‘(v) recruiting veterans of military 

12 service and individuals with barriers to em13 ployment; 

14 ‘‘(B) to provide career services as de15 scribed in section 134(c)(2)(A) of the Work16 force Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 

17 U.S.C. 3174(c)(2)(A)); 

18 ‘‘(C) to provide training services as de19 scribed in section 134(c)(3)(D) of the Work20 force Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 

21 U.S.C. 3174(c)(3)(D)); or 

22 ‘‘(D) to provide services to support the 

23 success and retention of individuals who are 

24 participating in any training program estab25 lished under subsection (a)(4).’’; and 


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1 (5) in subsection (e)— 

2 (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

3 the end; 

4 (B) in paragraph (2)— 

5 (i) by striking ‘‘subsection (a)(1)’’ and 

6 inserting ‘‘paragraph (1) or (2) of sub7 section (a)’’; and 

8 (ii) by striking the period at the end 

9 and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

10 (C) by adding at the end the following new 

11 paragraph: 

12 ‘‘(3) ensure that the applications selected for 

13 projects established under subsection (a)(4) will 

14 allow participation from major and regional air car15 riers and a diverse collection of industry partners.’’. 

Æ 


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