[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7157 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7157
To require pilot programs in connection with Senior Reserve Officers'
Training Corps units at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
and minority institutions, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 11, 2020
Mr. Brown of Maryland (for himself, Ms. Blunt Rochester, and Mr. Murphy
of North Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require pilot programs in connection with Senior Reserve Officers'
Training Corps units at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
and minority institutions, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Fostering Leadership and Inclusion
by Growing HBCU Training Act of 2020'' or the ``FLIGHT Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The Fiscal Year 2018 Population Representation in the
Military Services report found that while minorities comprise
38 percent of the national population, they comprise only 23
percent of the active component commissioned officer corps.
(2) The Fiscal Year 2018 Population Representation in the
Military Services report further found that African Americans
only comprised 8 percent of the active component commissioned
officer corps, while more than 12 percent of the general
population is African American.
(3) The Fiscal Year 2018 Population Representation in the
Military Services report further found that African-American
and Hispanic cadets were recipients of a Reserve Officers'
Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship at a rate of half of their
representation in the general population.
(4) A 2018 RAND study titled ``Understanding Demographic
Differences in Undergraduate Pilot Training Attrition'' found
that ``[candidates for pilot training from Reserve Officers'
Training Corps program] with more hours of flying experience
were also less likely to be eliminated from Initial Flight
Training and Primary Pilot Training''.
(5) In 2020, Air Education and Training Command, in
partnership with the University of Texas-San Antonio, conducted
a study that reinforced, including within the Pilot Candidate
Selection Method, the number of flight hours a candidate
accumulates before attending undergraduate pilot training.
(6) The United States Air Force has acknowledged that
``flight hours . . . can be difficult to obtain for potential
candidates depending on their socio-economic background''.
SEC. 3. PILOT PROGRAMS IN CONNECTION WITH SROTC UNITS AND CSPI PROGRAMS
AT HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AND
MINORITY INSTITUTIONS.
(a) Pilot Programs Required.--The Secretary of Defense shall carry
out the pilot programs as follows:
(1) A pilot program, with elements as provided for in
subsection (c), at covered institutions in order to assess the
feasibility and advisability of mechanisms to reduce barriers
to participation in the Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps
at such institutions by creating partnerships between satellite
or extension Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps units at
such institutions and military installations.
(2) In consultation with the Secretary of Homeland
Security, a pilot program, with elements as provided for in
subsection (d), in order to assess the feasibility and
advisability of the provision of financial assistance to
members of the Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps, and
members of the Coast Guard College Student Pre-Commissioning
Initiative, at covered institutions for participation in flight
training.
(b) Duration.--The duration of each pilot program under subsection
(a) may not exceed five years.
(c) Pilot Program on Partnerships Between Satellite or Extension
SROTC Units and Military Installations.--
(1) Participating institutions.--The Secretary of Defense
shall carry out the pilot program required by subsection (a)(1)
at not fewer than five covered institutions selected by the
Secretary for purposes of the pilot program.
(2) Requirements for selection.--Each covered institution
selected by the Secretary for purposes of the pilot program
required by subsection (a)(1) shall--
(A) currently maintain a satellite or extension
Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps unit under
chapter 103 of title 10, United States Code, that is
located more than 20 miles from the host unit of such
unit; or
(B) establish and maintain a satellite or extension
Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps unit that meets
the requirements in subparagraph (A).
(3) Preference in selection of institutions.--In selecting
covered institutions under this subsection for participation in
the pilot program required by subsection (a)(1), the Secretary
shall give preference to covered institutions that are located
within 20 miles of a military installation of the same Armed
Force as the host unit of the Senior Reserve Officers' Training
Corps of the covered institution concerned.
(4) Partnership activities.--The activities conducted under
the pilot program required by subsection (a)(1) between a
satellite or extension Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps
unit and the military installation concerned shall include such
activities designed to reduce barriers to participation in the
Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps at the covered
institution concerned as the Secretary considers appropriate,
including measures to mitigate travel time and expenses in
connection with receipt of Senior Reserve Officers' Training
Corps instruction.
(d) Pilot Program on Financial Assistance for SROTC and CSPI
Members for Flight Training.--
(1) Eligibility for participation by srotc and cspi
members.--A member of a Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps
unit, or a member of a Coast Guard College Student Pre-
Commissioning Initiative program, at a covered institution may
participate in the pilot program required by subsection (a)(2)
if the member meets such academic requirements at the covered
institution, and such other requirements, as the Secretary of
Defense shall establish for purposes of the pilot program.
(2) Preference in selection of participants.--In selecting
members under this subsection for participation in the pilot
program required by subsection (a)(2), the Secretary shall give
a preference to members who will pursue flight training under
the pilot program at a covered institution.
(3) Financial assistance for flight training.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary may provide any
member of a Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps
unit or a College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative
program who participates in the pilot program required
by subsection (a)(2) financial assistance to defray,
whether in whole or in part, the charges and fees
imposed on the member for flight training.
(B) Flight training.--Financial assistance may be
used under subparagraph (A) for a course of flight
training only if the course meets Federal Aviation
Administration standards and is approved by the Federal
Aviation Administration and the applicable State
approving agency.
(C) Use.--Financial assistance received by a member
under subparagraph (A) may be used only to defray the
charges and fees imposed on the member as described in
that subparagraph.
(D) Cessation of eligibility.--Financial assistance
may not be provided to a member under subparagraph (A)
as follows:
(i) If the member ceases to meet the
academic and other requirements established
pursuant to paragraph (1).
(ii) If the member ceases to be a member of
the Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps or
the College Student Pre-Commissioning
Initiative, as applicable.
(e) Evaluation Metrics.--The Secretary of Defense shall establish
metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot programs under
subsection (a).
(f) Reports.--
(1) Initial report.--Not later than 180 days after the
commencement of the pilot programs under subsection (a), the
Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed
Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a
report on the pilot programs. The report shall include the
following:
(A) A description of each pilot program, including
in the case of the pilot program under subsection
(a)(2) the requirements established pursuant to
subsection (d)(1).
(B) The evaluation metrics established under
subsection (e).
(C) Such other matters relating to the pilot
programs as the Secretary considers appropriate.
(2) Annual report.--Not later than 90 days after the end of
each fiscal year in which the Secretary carries out the pilot
programs, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Armed
Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a
report on the pilot programs during such fiscal year. Each
report shall include, for the fiscal year covered by such
report, the following:
(A) In the case of the pilot program under
subsection (a)(1), a description of the partnerships
between satellite or extension Senior Reserve Officers'
Training Corps units and military installations under
the pilot program.
(B) In the case of the pilot program under
subsection (a)(2), the following:
(i) The number of members of Senior Reserve
Officers' Training Corps units, and the number
of members of Coast Guard College Student Pre-
Commissioning Initiative programs, at covered
institutions selected for purposes of the pilot
program, including the number of such members
participating in the pilot program.
(ii) The number of recipients of financial
assistance provided under the pilot program,
including the number who--
(I) completed a ground school
course of instruction in connection
with obtaining a private pilot's
certificate;
(II) completed flight training, and
the type of training, certificate, or
both received;
(III) were selected for a pilot
training slot in the Armed Forces;
(IV) initiated pilot training in
the Armed Forces; or
(V) successfully completed pilot
training in the Armed Forces.
(iii) The amount of financial assistance
provided under the pilot program, broken out by
covered institution, course of study, and such
other measures as the Secretary considers
appropriate.
(C) Data collected in accordance with the
evaluation metrics established under subsection (e).
(3) Final report.--Not later than 180 days prior to the
completion of the pilot programs, the Secretary shall submit to
the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of
Representatives a report on the pilot programs. The report
shall include the following:
(A) A description of the pilot programs.
(B) An assessment of the effectiveness of each
pilot program.
(C) A description of the cost of each pilot
program, and an estimate of the cost of making each
pilot program permanent.
(D) An estimate of the cost of expanding each pilot
program throughout all eligible Senior Reserve
Officers' Training Corps units and College Student Pre-
Commissioning Initiative programs.
(E) Such recommendations for legislative or
administrative action as the Secretary considers
appropriate in light of the pilot programs, including
recommendations for extending or making permanent the
authority for each pilot program.
(g) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``covered institution'' has the meaning given
that term in section 262(g)(2) of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116-92).
(2) The term ``flight training'' means a course of
instruction toward obtaining any of the following:
(A) A private pilot's certificate.
(B) A commercial pilot certificate.
(C) A certified flight instructor certificate.
(D) A multi-crew pilot's license.
(E) A flight instrument rating.
(F) Any other certificate, rating, or pilot
privilege the Secretary considers appropriate for
purposes of this section.
(3) The term ``military installation'' means an
installation of the Department of Defense for the regular
components of the Armed Forces.
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