Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited Act

II 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 965 To provide for programs of scholarships for members of Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps units toward obtaining private pilot’s licenses, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES APRIL 1, 2019 Mr. JONES (for himself and Mr. COTTON) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services A BILL To provide for programs of scholarships for members of Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps units toward obtaining private pilot’s licenses, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ceiling and Visibility 4 Unlimited Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:02 Apr 06, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S965.IS S965 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •S 965 IS SEC. 2. PROGRAMS OF SCHOLARSHIPS FOR MEMBERS OF 1 JUNIOR RESERVE OFFICERS’ TRAINING 2 CORPS UNITS TOWARD OBTAINING PRIVATE 3 PILOT’S LICENSES. 4 (a) PROGRAMS AUTHORIZED.—Each Secretary of a 5 military department may carry out a program to award 6 scholarships to qualified members of units of the Junior 7 Reserve Officers’ Training Corps under the jurisdiction of 8 such Secretary to assist such members in obtaining a pri- 9 vate pilot’s license through an institution of higher edu- 10 cation approved by such Secretary pursuant to subsection 11 (c). 12 (b) MEMBER QUALIFICATIONS.— 13 (1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out a program 14 under subsection (a), the Secretary of a military de- 15 partment shall prescribe the standards to be met by 16 members of units of the Junior Reserve Officers’ 17 Training Corps under the jurisdiction of the Sec- 18 retary to be eligible for the award of a scholarship 19 under the program. 20 (2) UNIFORMITY ACROSS MILITARY DEPART- 21 MENTS.—To the extent practicable, the standards 22 prescribed under this subsection shall be uniform 23 across the military departments. 24 (c) APPROVED INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDU- 25 CATION.— 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:02 Apr 06, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S965.IS S965 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •S 965 IS (1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out a program 1 under subsection (a), the Secretary of a military de- 2 partment shall maintain a list of institutions of high- 3 er education at which a scholarship awarded under 4 the program may be used toward obtaining a private 5 pilot’s license. 6 (2) QUALIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS.—Any 7 institution of higher education included on a list 8 under this subsection, and any course of instruction 9 toward obtaining a private pilot’s license offered by 10 such institution, shall meet such qualifications and 11 standards as the Secretary shall prescribe for pur- 12 poses of the program. Such qualifications and stand- 13 ards shall include a requirement that any institution 14 included on the list award academic credit at such 15 institution to any member awarded a scholarship 16 under the program who successfully completes the 17 ground school course of instruction of such institu- 18 tion in connection with obtaining a private pilot’s li- 19 cense. 20 (d) SCHOLARSHIP.— 21 (1) AMOUNT.—The amount of the scholarship 22 awarded a member of a Junior Reserve Officers’ 23 Training Corps under a program under subsection 24 (a) shall be such amount as the Secretary of the 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:02 Apr 06, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S965.IS S965 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •S 965 IS military department concerned considers appropriate 1 to defray, whether in whole or in part, the charges 2 and fees of a course of instruction toward obtaining 3 a private pilot’s license offered by the institution of 4 higher education to be attended by the member in 5 obtaining the license. 6 (2) USE.—A scholarship awarded a member 7 under a program may be used by the member only 8 to defray the charges and fees of an institution of 9 higher education for a course of instruction toward 10 obtaining a private pilot’s license. 11 (3) MAINTENANCE OF MEMBERSHIP.—A schol- 12 arship awarded an individual under a program may 13 be used by the individual only while the individual 14 maintains membership in a unit of a Junior Reserve 15 Officers’ Training Corps. 16 (e) ASSESSMENT OF RELATED PILOT PROGRAM.— 17 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 18 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec- 19 retary of Defense shall submit to Congress a report 20 setting forth the results of an assessment, conducted 21 by the study group described in paragraph (2) for 22 purposes of the report, of the pilot program con- 23 ducted by the Air Force in 2018 and 2019 known 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:02 Apr 06, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S965.IS S965 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 5 •S 965 IS as the ‘‘JROTC Flight Academy, Chief of Staff Pri- 1 vate Pilot Scholarship Program’’. 2 (2) STUDY GROUP.—The study group described 3 in this paragraph shall include the following: 4 (A) A representative of the Department of 5 Defense, selected by the Secretary of Defense. 6 (B) A representative of each military de- 7 partment, selected by the Secretary of such 8 military department. 9 (C) A representative of the Department of 10 Transportation, selected by the Secretary of 11 Transportation. 12 (D) A representative of the Department of 13 Education, selected by the Secretary of Edu- 14 cation. 15 (E) Representatives of such private organi- 16 zations and entities as the Secretary of Defense 17 considers appropriate. 18 (3) ELEMENTS.—The assessment required by 19 paragraph (1) shall identify best practices in assist- 20 ing members of the Junior Reserve Officers’ Train- 21 ing Corps in obtaining a private pilot’s license 22 through institutions of higher education, including 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:02 Apr 06, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S965.IS S965 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 6 •S 965 IS the most appropriate funding mechanisms for such 1 practices. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:02 Apr 06, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S965.IS S965 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS