II 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2506 

To establish an aviation maintenance workforce development pilot program. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 7, 2018 

Mr. INHOFE (for himself, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. MORAN, and Ms. CANTWELL) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To establish an aviation maintenance workforce development 

pilot program. 

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

3 SECTION 1. AVIATION MAINTENANCE WORKFORCE DEVEL4 OPMENT PILOT PROGRAM. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Federal 

6 Aviation Administration may carry out a pilot program to 

7 provide grants for eligible projects to support the edu8 cation and recruitment of aviation maintenance technical 

9 workers and the development of the aviation maintenance 

10 industry workforce. 


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1 (b) PROJECT GRANTS.— 

2 (1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 

3 appropriated $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 

4 2019 through 2023 to provide grants under the pilot 

5 program established under subsection (a). 

6 (2) DOLLAR AMOUNT LIMIT.—Not more than 

7 $500,000 shall be made available for any one-time 

8 grant in any fiscal year under the pilot program es9 tablished under subsection (a). 

10 (c) ELIGIBLE APPLICATIONS.—An application for a 

11 grant under the pilot program established under sub12 section (a) shall be submitted, in such form as the com13 mittee established under subsection (e) may specify, joint14 ly by— 

15 (1) a holder of a certificate issued under part 

16 21, 121, 135, or 145 of title 14, Code of Federal 

17 Regulations, or a labor organization representing 

18 aviation maintenance workers; 

19 (2) an accredited institution of higher education 

20 (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education 

21 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)); and 

22 (3) a State or local governmental entity. 

23 (d) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.—For purposes of the pilot 

24 program established under subsection (a), an eligible 

25 project is a project— 


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1 (1) to establish new educational programs that 

2 teach technical skills used in aviation maintenance, 

3 including purchasing equipment, or to improve exist4 ing such programs; 

5 (2) to establish scholarships or apprenticeships 

6 for individuals pursuing employment in the aviation 

7 maintenance industry; 

8 (3) to support outreach about careers in the 

9 aviation maintenance industry to— 

10 (A) primary, secondary, and post-sec11 ondary school students; or 

12 (B) to communities underrepresented in 

13 the industry; 

14 (4) to support educational opportunities related 

15 to aviation maintenance in economically disadvan16 taged geographic areas; 

17 (5) to support transition to careers in aviation 

18 maintenance, including for members of the Armed 

19 Forces; or 

20 (6) to otherwise enhance aviation maintenance 

21 technical education or the aviation maintenance in22 dustry workforce, as determined by a unanimous 

23 vote of the committee established under subsection 

24 (e). 

25 (e) GRANT APPLICATION REVIEW.— 


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1 (1) REVIEW COMMITTEE.—The Administrator 

2 shall establish a committee to review and select ap3 plications for grants under the pilot program estab4 lished under subsection (a). 

5 (2) MEMBERSHIP.— 

6 (A) IN GENERAL.—The committee estab7 lished under paragraph (1) shall be comprised 

8 of— 

9 (i) representatives of aircraft repair 

10 stations, air carriers, design and produc11 tion approval holders, labor organizations, 

12 business aviation, general aviation, edu13 cational institutions, and other relevant 

14 sectors; or 

15 (ii) representatives of recognized in16 dustry groups representing entities de17 scribed in clause (i). 

18 (B) LIMITATION.—The committee estab19 lished under paragraph (1) shall have not more 

20 than 9 members. 

Æ 


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