S.Amdt. 325

SA 325. Mr. HEINRICH (for himself and Mr. Udall) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 2810, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for military activities
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

[[Page S4319]]

At the end of subtitle E of title X, add the following:

SEC. ___. AIR FORCE PILOT PROGRAM ON EDUCATION AND TRAINING
AND CERTIFICATION OF SECONDARY AND POST-
SECONDARY STUDENTS AS AIRCRAFT TECHNICIANS.

(a) Pilot Program Required.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of the Air Force shall carry
out a pilot program to assess the feasability and
advisability of--
(A) providing education and training to secondary and post-
secondary students in the skills and qualifications required
to lead to certification as an aircraft technician for the
Air Force with skills levels 3-5; and
(B) certifying individuals who successfully complete
education and training under the pilot program as aircraft
technicians for the Air Force at the applicable skill level.
(2) Designation.--The pilot program carried out pursuant to
this section may be known as the ``Air Force Dual Credit
Maintainers Program'' (in this section, referred to as the
``pilot program'').
(b) Eligible Participants.--Individuals eligible to
participate in the pilot program are individuals in secondary
or post-secondary school who--
(1) have education, skills, or both appropriate for further
education and training leading to certification as an
aircraft technician of the Air Force; and
(2) seek to pursue education and training under the pilot
program in order to become certified as aircraft technicians
of the Air Force.
(c) Secondary Schools and Institutions of Higher
Education.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot
program through secondary schools and institutions of higher
education selected by the Secretary for purposes of the pilot
program.
(2) Locations.--The secondary schools and institutions of
higher education selected pursuant to paragraph (1) shall, to
the extent practicable, be located in the vicinity of
installations of the Air Force at which there is, or is
anticipated to be, a shortfall in aircraft technicians with
skill levels 3-5.
(3) Coordination.--The pilot program may be carried out at
a secondary school only with the approval of the local
educational agency concerned. The pilot program may be
carried out at an institution of higher education only with
the approval of the board of trustees or other appropriate
leadership of the institution.
(4) Grants.--In carrying out the pilot program, the
Secretary may award a grant to any secondary school or
institution of higher education participating in the pilot
program for purposes of providing education and training
under the pilot program.
(d) Curriculum and Associated Equipment.--In carrying out
the pilot program, the Secretary shall support curriculum
development by secondary and post-secondary educational
institutions, and any associated training equipment, to be
used in providing education and training under the pilot
program.
(e) Employment as Air Force Aircraft Technicians.--As part
of the pilot program, the Secretary may employ, and may
afford an emphasis on employment, in the Department of the
Air Force as aircraft technicians of the Air Force any
individuals who obtain certification under the pilot program
as aircraft technicians of the Air Force.
(f) Sunset.--The authority of the Secretary to carry out
the pilot program shall expire on the date that is five years
after the date of the enactment of this Act. Expiration of
the authority to carry out the pilot program shall not be
construed to require the termination of any education or
training, or the provision of any certifications, for
individuals participating in education or training under the
pilot program on the date of the expiration of authority to
carry out the pilot program
(g) Funding.--
(1) In general.--The amount authorized to be appropriated
for fiscal year 2018 for the Department of Defense by this
division is hereby increased by $5,000,000, with the amount
of the increase to be available for the pilot program,
including for the award of grants pursuant to subsection
(c)(4) and for support of the development of curriculum and
training equipment pursuant to subsection (d)
(2) Offset.--The amount authorized to be appropriated for
fiscal year 2018 by section 301 is hereby reduced by
$5,000,000, with the amount of the reduction to be applied
against amounts available for operation and maintenance,
Defense-wide, for SAG 4GTV Office of the Inspector General.
______