II 

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. 

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

3 SECTION 1. BESSIE COLEMAN WOMEN IN AVIATION ADVI4 SORY COMMITTEE. 

5 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 6 months after 

6 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall es7 tablish the Bessie Coleman Women in Aviation Advisory 

8 Committee (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Com9 mittee’’). 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 4320 IS

1 (b) PURPOSE.—The Committee shall advise the Sec2 retary and the Administrator on matters and policies re3 lated to promoting the recruitment, retention, employ4 ment, education, training, career advancement, and well5 being of women in the aviation industry and aviation-fo6 cused Federal civil service positions. 

7 (c) FORM OF DIRECTIVES.—All activities carried out 

8 by the Committee, including special committees, shall be 

9 in response to written terms of work from the Secretary 

10 or taskings approved by a majority of the voting members 

11 of the Committee and may not duplicate the objectives of 

12 the Air Carrier Training Aviation Rulemaking Committee. 

13 (d) FUNCTIONS.—In carrying out the directives de14 scribed in subsection (c), the functions of the Committee 

15 are as follows: 

16 (1) Foster industry collaboration in an open 

17 and transparent manner by engaging, as prescribed 

18 by this section, with representatives of the private 

19 sector associated with an entity described in sub20 section (e)(1)(B). 

21 (2) Make recommendations for strategic objec22 tives, priorities, and policies that would improve the 

23 recruitment, retention, training, and career advance24 ment of women in aviation professions. 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 4320 IS

1 (3) Evaluate opportunities for the FAA to im2 prove the recruitment and retention of women in the 

3 FAA. 

4 (4) Periodically review and update the rec5 ommendations directed to the FAA and non-FAA 

6 entities produced by the Advisory Board created 

7 pursuant to section 612 of the FAA Reauthorization 

8 Act of 2018 (49 U.S.C. 40101 note) to improve the 

9 implementation of such recommendations. 

10 (5) Coordinate with the Office of Civil Rights of 

11 the Department of Transportation and the Federal 

12 Women’s Program of the FAA to ensure directives 

13 described in subsection (c) do not duplicate objec14 tives of such office or program. 

15 (e) MEMBERSHIP.— 

16 (1) VOTING MEMBERS.—The Committee shall 

17 be composed of the following members: 

18 (A) The Administrator, or the designee of 

19 the Administrator. 

20 (B) At least 25 individuals, appointed by 

21 the Secretary, representing the following: 

22 (i) Aircraft manufacturers and aero23 space companies. 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 4320 IS

1 (ii) Public and private aviation labor 

2 organizations, including collective bar3 gaining representatives of— 

4 (I) aviation safety inspectors and 

5 safety engineers of the FAA; 

6 (II) air traffic controllers; 

7 (III) certified aircraft mainte8 nance technicians; and 

9 (IV) commercial airline crew10 members. 

11 (iii) General aviation operators. 

12 (iv) Air carriers. 

13 (v) Business aviation operators, in14 cluding powered-lift operators. 

15 (vi) Unmanned aircraft systems oper16 ators. 

17 (vii) Aviation safety management ex18 perts. 

19 (viii) Aviation maintenance, repair, 

20 and overhaul entities. 

21 (ix) Airport owners, operators, and 

22 employees. 

23 (x) Institutions of higher education 

24 (as defined in section 101 of the Higher 

25 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)), 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 4320 IS

1 a postsecondary vocational institution (as 

2 defined in section 102(c) of the Higher 

3 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)), 

4 or a high school or secondary school (as 

5 such terms are defined in section 8101 of 

6 the Elementary and Secondary Education 

7 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)). 

8 (xi) A flight school that provides flight 

9 training, as defined in part 61 of title 14, 

10 Code of Federal Regulations, or that holds 

11 a pilot school certificate under part 141 of 

12 title 14, Code of Federal Regulations. 

13 (xii) Aviation maintenance technician 

14 schools governed under part 147 of title 

15 14, Code of Federal Regulations. 

16 (xiii) Engineering business associa17 tions. 

18 (xiv) Civil Air Patrol. 

19 (xv) Nonprofit organizations within 

20 the aviation industry. 

21 (2) NONVOTING MEMBERS.— 

22 (A) IN GENERAL.—In addition to the 

23 members appointed under paragraph (1), the 

24 Committee shall be composed of not more than 

25 5 nonvoting members appointed by the SecVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:33 Jun 13, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4320.IS S4320

ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
6 

•S 4320 IS

1 retary from among officers or employees of the 

2 FAA, at least 1 of which shall be an employee 

3 of the Office of Civil Rights of the FAA. 

4 (B) ADDITIONAL NONVOTING MEMBERS.— 

5 The Secretary may invite representatives from 

6 the Department of Education and Department 

7 of Labor to serve as nonvoting members on the 

8 Committee. 

9 (C) DUTIES.—The nonvoting members 

10 may— 

11 (i) take part in deliberations of the 

12 Committee; and 

13 (ii) provide subject matter expertise 

14 with respect to reports and recommenda15 tions of the Committee. 

16 (D) LIMITATION.—The nonvoting members 

17 may not represent any stakeholder interest 

18 other than that of the respective Federal agency 

19 of the member. 

20 (3) TERMS.—Each voting member and non21 voting member of the Committee appointed by the 

22 Secretary shall be appointed for a term that expires 

23 not later than the date on which the authorization 

24 of the Committee expires under subsection (l). 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
7 

•S 4320 IS

1 (4) COMMITTEE CHARACTERISTICS.—The Com2 mittee shall have the following characteristics: 

3 (A) The ability to obtain necessary infor4 mation from additional experts in the aviation 

5 and aerospace communities. 

6 (B) A membership that enables the Com7 mittee to have substantive discussions and 

8 reach consensus on issues in a timely manner. 

9 (C) Appropriate expertise, including exper10 tise in human resources, human capital man11 agement, policy, labor relations, employment 

12 training, workforce development, and youth out13 reach. 

14 (5) DATE.—Not later than 9 months after the 

15 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 

16 make the appointments described in this subsection. 

17 (f) CHAIRPERSON.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Committee shall select a 

19 chairperson from among the voting members of the 

20 Committee. 

21 (2) TERM.—The Chairperson shall serve a 2- 

22 year term. 

23 (g) MEETINGS.— 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
8 

•S 4320 IS

1 (1) FREQUENCY.—The Committee shall meet at 

2 least twice each year at the call of the Chairperson 

3 or the Secretary. 

4 (2) PUBLIC ATTENDANCE.—The meetings of 

5 the Committee shall be open and accessible to the 

6 public. 

7 (3) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.—The Secretary 

8 shall furnish the Committee with logistical and ad9 ministrative support to enable the Committee to per10 form the duties of the Committee. 

11 (h) SPECIAL COMMITTEES.— 

12 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Committee may es13 tablish special committees composed of industry rep14 resentatives, members of the public, labor represent15 atives, and other relevant parties in complying with 

16 the consultation and participation requirements 

17 under subsection (d). 

18 (2) APPLICABLE LAW.—Chapter 10 of title 5, 

19 United States Code, shall not apply to a special com20 mittee established by the Committee. 

21 (i) PERSONNEL MATTERS.— 

22 (1) NO COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.— 

23 (A) NON-FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.—A mem24 ber of the Committee who is not an officer or 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
9 

•S 4320 IS

1 employee of the Government shall serve without 

2 compensation. 

3 (B) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.—A member of 

4 the Committee who is an officer or employee of 

5 the Federal Government shall serve without 

6 compensation in addition to the compensation 

7 received for the services of the member as an 

8 officer or employee of the Federal Government. 

9 (2) DEATH OR RESIGNATION.—If a member of 

10 the Committee dies or resigns during the term of 

11 service of such member, the Secretary shall des12 ignate a successor for the unexpired term of such 

13 member. 

14 (j) REPORTS.— 

15 (1) TASK REPORTS.—The Committee shall sub16 mit to the Secretary and the appropriate committees 

17 of Congress annual reports detailing the completion 

18 of each directive summarizing the— 

19 (A) findings and associated recommenda20 tions of the Committee for any legislative and 

21 administrative actions the Committee considers 

22 appropriate to improve the advancement of 

23 women in aviation; and 

24 (B) planned activities of the Committee, as 

25 directed by the Secretary or approved by a maVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:33 Jun 13, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4320.IS S4320

ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
10 

•S 4320 IS

1 jority of voting members of the Committee, and 

2 proposed terms of work to fulfill each activity. 

3 (2) ADDITIONAL REPORTS.—The Committee 

4 may submit to the appropriate committees of Con5 gress, the Secretary, and the Administrator addi6 tional reports and recommendations related to edu7 cation, training, recruitment, retention, and ad8 vancement of women in the aviation industry as the 

9 Committee determines appropriate. 

10 (k) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

11 (1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis12 trator’’ means the Administrator of the FAA. 

13 (2) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CON14 GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con15 gress’’ means the Committee on Commerce, Science, 

16 and Transportation of the Senate and the Com17 mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the 

18 House of Representatives. 

19 (3) FAA.—The term ‘‘FAA’’ means the Fed20 eral Aviation Administration. 

21 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

22 the Secretary of Transportation. 

23 (l) SUNSET.—The authorization of the Committee 

24 shall expire on October 1, 2028. 

Æ 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS