Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Domestic Maritime Centers of Excellence Act of 2017”.
Domestic Maritime Centers of Excellence Act of 2017
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Transportation to designate certain entities as centers of excellence for domestic maritime workforce training and education, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Domestic maritime centers of excellence
Designation authority— The Secretary of Transportation is authorized to designate community and technical colleges with a maritime training program and maritime training centers operated by or under the supervision of a State, if located in the United States along the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska, or Great Lakes, as centers of excellence for domestic maritime workforce training and education.
Assistance—
Types— The Secretary may provide to an entity designated as a center of excellence under subsection (a)—
technical assistance; and
surplus Federal equipment and assets.
Technical assistance— The Secretary may provide technical assistance under paragraph (1) to assist an entity designated as a center of excellence under subsection (a) to expand the capacity of the entity to train the domestic maritime workforce of the United States, including by—
admitting additional students;
recruiting and training faculty;
expanding facilities;
creating new maritime career pathways; and
awarding students credit for prior experience, including military service.