Resolution 187-2015RESOLUTION NO. 187 - 2015
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA,
SUPPORTING PASSAGE OF H.R. 2923, THE MARITIME AND
ENERGY WORKFORCE TECHNICAL TRAINING
ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2015, AND SUPPORTING THE
FLORIDA KEYS COMMUNITY COLLEGE AS A RECIPIENT OF
GRANT FUNDING FROM THIS ACT TO IMPLEMENT
WORKFORCE TRAINING AND ESTABLISH A "CENTER FOR
EXCELLENCE" IN MARITIME AND ENERGY TRAINING;
PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County, Florida
(hereinafter the "Board ") is the governing body of Monroe County (hereinafter the "County ");
and,
WHEREAS, the Board is charged with the well -being of the residents of the County; and
WHEREAS, the Florida Keys Community College, a public, two -year community
college, established in 1965 as one of 28 community colleges in the State of Florida, is located
within and serves the residents of the Florida Keys; and
WHEREAS, the passage of H.R. 2923 will provide grant funding to community colleges
and other public institutions of higher educations to expand upon existing programs in maritime
and energy workforce technical training, including admitting more students, training faculty,
expanding facilities, and creating new maritime career pathways; and
WHEREAS, in the Florida Keys, the marine industry is a year -round enterprise that is linked to
tourism, diving, fishing, research conservation, and transportation; and skilled marine mechanics and
qualified boat captains are constantly in demand to fill positions in the local workforce; and
WHEREAS, the Florida Keys Community College has demonstrated commitment and
ability to maintain maritime and energy workforce training programs having already established
a Marine Engineering, Management and Seamanship Department offering both an Associate's Degree
program in Applied Science in Marine Engineering, Management and Seamanship and a
Technical/Vocational Certification program in Marine Engineering; and
WHEREAS, the Florida Keys Community College is one of only two Florida College
System institutions that offers maritime- related educational and vocational programs; and
WHEREAS, in order to meet employer demand, the Florida Keys Community College is
expanding its maritime training programs to the middle Keys and increasing its program capacity
by 25 %; and
WHEREAS, in 2014 the Florida Keys Community College opened a new Marine
Technology Building on the Key West Campus. The 30,000 square foot state -of -the -art facility,
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to provide an enhanced learning environment for students, particularly those training in the
College's signature Marine Engineering, Management and Seamanship program;
WHEREAS, the Florida Keys Community College desires to seek award of this grant
funding in order to provide critical workforce training opportunities for its students and residents
of the Florida Keys; and
WHEREAS, the Florida Keys Community College desires to establish a Center of
Excellence in Maritime and Energy Workforce Technical Training to enable it to improve and
expand maritime and energy workforce training opportunities for veterans, members of the
Armed Forces, Federal employees and civilians by implementing new maritime- and energy-
related training programs; and
WHEREAS, the Florida Keys are home to a vital U.S. Navy training base, a robust Coast
Guard force, members of all branches of the military and nearly 10,000 veterans, all of whom
could benefit from a local maritime Center of Excellence; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF
COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA that:
1. The County of Monroe hereby supports passage of H.R. 2923, and asks the U.S.
Congress, and specifically Florida Senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio, and
U.S. Representative Carlos Curbelo to support passage of H.R. 2923.
The Clerk for this Board shall furnish copies of this resolution to the federal
legislative delegation for Monroe County as soon as reasonably possible.
4. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon adoption.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe County,
Florida, at a regular meeting of said board held on the 15'' day of July, 2015.
Mayor Danny L. Kolhage, District 1
Yes
Mayor Pro Tem Heather Carruthers, District 3
Yes
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Commissioner George Neugent, District 2
Yes
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Commissioner David Rice, District 4
Yes
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Commissioner Sylvia Murphy, District 5
Yes
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BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONESS
OF M OE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: T
ay t&& *ftMlEY
APPR�
Page 2 of 2 qp RT I SHILLNiOM .IR,
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...................................... ...............................
(Original Signatuiv of Member)
114Th CONGRESS
1ST SESSIO\ He Re
To require the Secretary of Ener to award grants to exl)and programs
in maritime and energy workforce technical training, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
,Air. GENE GREEN of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Conunittee on
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Energy to award grants to ex-
pand programs in maritime and energy workforce tech-
nical training, and for other purposes.
1 Be it enacted by the Senate and Douse of Representa-
2 Lives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
4 This Act may be cited as the "Maritime and Energy
5 Workforce Technical Training Enhancement Act ".
6 SEC. 2. MARITIME AND ENERGY WORKFORCE TECHNICAL
7 TRAINING ENHANCEMENT.
8 (a) GRANTS REQUIRED.—
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1 (1) IN GENERAL. —The Secretary of Energy (in
2 this Act referred to as the "Secretary ") shall award
3 grants to enable eligible community colleges and
4 other public institutions of higher education to ex-
5 pand upon existing programs in maritime and en-
6 ergy workforce technical training, including by ad-
z mitting more students, training faculty, expanding
8 facilities, creating new maritime career pathways
9 from associate degree to baccalaureate degree pro -
10 grains and awarding credit for prior learning experi-
11 ence, or increasing cooperation with the Department
12 of Energy, the Department of Defense, the Depart -
13 ment of Ilomeland Security, the Department of
14 Transportation, the Department of Veterans Affairs,
15 or the National Science Foundation. In developing
16 the grant program, the Secretary may award a grant
17 to a nonprofit organization with a track record of at
18 least 10 years of expertise in working with commu-
19 nity colleges on developing workforce development
20 programs, to provide assistance to the Secretary in
21 carrying out the requirements of this Act.
22 (2) PRIORITY. —The Secretary shall give pri-
23 ority in the award of grants under this section to eli-
24 gible institutions that have entered into a partner -
25 ship with the Department of Energy, the Depart-
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1 ment of Defense, the Department of Homeland Se-
2 curity, the Department of Transportation, or the
3 Department of Veterans Affairs.
4 (3) GRANT A. -VTO>JNTS.— Grants awarded under
5 this section shall be in amounts of not less than
6 $1,000,000 and not more than $1,500,000.
7 (b) REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS. -
8 (1) IN GENERAL. —Not later than 90 days after
9 the date of enactment of this Act, and annually
10 thereafter for 2 years, the Secretary shall issue a re-
11 quest for proposals from eligible institutions for
12 grants under this section.
13 (2) PROPOSALS. An eligible institution that
14 seeks the award of a grant under this section shall
15 submit an application therefor to the Secretary at
16 such time, in such manner, and accompanied by
17 such information as the Secretary may require, in-
18 eluding -
19 (A) demonstration of a willingness and
20 ability to participate in a partnership described
21 in subsection (a)(2), if any; and
22 (B) a commitment, and demonstration of
23 an ability, to maintain maritime and energy
24 workforce technical training programs after the
25 end of the grant period.
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1 (c) GRANT USES.
2 (1) IN GENERAL. An eligible institution
3 awarded a grant under this section shall use grant
4 amounts to carry out any of the following:
5 (A) Training related to maritime or energy
6 transportation, logistics, and supply chain man-
7 agement.
8 (B) Training related to shipbuilding and
9 ship repair.
10 (C) Enhancement of academic and work -
11 force training programs, to include certifi-
12 cations and apprenticeships, providing training
13 for maritime and energy employment.
14 (D) Salary supplementation for faculty in
15 maritime or energy training and education.
16 (E) Operation and maintenance of mari-
17 time or energy related equipment and tech -
18 nology for use in instructional programs.
19 (F) Acquisition of marine vessels, safety
20 equipment, ship simulators, electronic naviga-
21 tion devices, fire suppression equipment, phys-
22 ical and chemical measuring instruments, sam-
23 pling devices, and other assets and equipment
24 for use in maritime or energy related training
25 and education.
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1 (G) Renovation or construction of build -
2 ings to house maritime or energy training and
3 education programs.
4 (II) Tuition reimbursement for successful
5 completion of a maritime or energy course, pro -
6 gram, or certification.
7 (2) LIMITATION ON CONSTRUCTION. An eligi-
8 ble institution awarded a grant Linder this section
9 may use not more than 50 percent of the grant
10 amount to carry out paragraph (1)(G).
11 (3) ADMISSIONS PREFERENCE. An eligible in-
12 stitution awarded a grant under this section shall
13 give preference in admission to maritime or energy
14 training and education programs to veterans, to the
15 extent practicable.
16 (4) PERIOD OF USE OF FUNDS. An eligible in-
17 stitution awarded a grant under this section may use
18 the grant funds for a period of three years after the
19 award of the grant.
20 (d) DEFINITIONS. —In this section:
21 (1) The term "eligible institution" means a
22 community college or other public postsecondary
23 educational institution located in close proximity to
24 marine or port facilities in the Gulf of Mexico, At-
25 lantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, or Great Lakes offering
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1 a maritime training and education program, and
2 which has an established association w6th -
3 (A) a port authority or other established
4 seaport or inland port facility; and
5 (B) the Department of Energy, the De-
6 partment of Defense, the Department of Home-
7 land Security, the Department of Transpor-
8 tation, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or
9 other appropriate government agencies.
10 (2) The term "veteran" has the meaning given
11 that term in section 101 of title 38, United States
12 Code.
13 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. —There
14 are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for
15 each of fiscal years 2016, 2017, and 2018 $12,000,000
16 to carry out this section.
17 SEC. 3. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE IN MARITIME AND EN-
1 tS ERGY WORKFORCE TECHNICAL TRAINING.
19 (a) GRAFTS FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF CENTERS. -
20 (1) IN GENERAL. —The Secretary, in consulta-
21 tion `vith the Secretary of Transportation and the
22 Secretary of Labor, shall award a grant to no more
23 than 10 eligible institutions to enable the eligible in-
24 stitutions to—
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1 (A) establish Centers of Excellence in Mar -
2 Anne and Energy Workforce Technical Training
3 (in this section referred to as the "Centers ")
4 and
5 (B) enable eligible institutions to improve
6 and expand maritime and energy workforce
7 training opportunities for veterans, members of
8 the Armed Forces, Federal employees, and civil -
9 ians by implementing new programs in such
10 training areas as-
11 (i) port related transportation sys-
12 tems, maritime and energy logistics and
13 supply chain management, small vessel re-
14 pair, maintenance of navigation and deck
15 cargo systems, maintenance of sophisti-
16 cated training equipment, port related
17 transportation, logistics, and supply chain
18 management, shipbuilding and ship repair,
19 operation and maintenance of equipment
20 and technology for use in maritime and en-
21 ergy employment training; and
22 (ii) job placement in maritime and en-
23 ergy related employment fields.
24 (2) PRIORITY.—The Secretary shall give pri-
25 ority in the award of grants under this section to eli-
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1 gible institutions that have in force, or demonstrate
2 the willingness and ability to enter into, memoranda
3 of understanding with the Department of Energy,
4 the Department of Defense, the Department of
5 Ilomeland Security, the Department of Transpor-
6 tation, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or other
7 appropriate government agencies, or a cooperative
8 agreement with an appropriate private sector entity,
9 which memorandum of understanding or cooperative
10 agreement provides for either, or both, of the fol-
11 lowing:
12 (A) The provision of resources, whether in
13 cash or in kind, to the Center.
14 (B) Assistance for the Center in building
15 maritime or energy training capacity, or in
16 training Federal employees in maritime fields.
17 (3) GRANT A -AIOU T.— Grants awarded under
18 this section shall be in amounts of not more than
19 $1,500,000 per Center.
20 (b) REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS. -
21 (1) IN GENERAL. —Not later than 90 days after
22 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary
23 shall issue a request for proposals from eligible insti-
24 tutions for a grant under this section.
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1 (2) PRoposA ,s. —An eligible institution that
2 seeks the award of the grant under this section shall
3 submit an application therefor to the Secretary at
4 such time, in such manner, and accompanied by
5 such information as the Secretary may require.
6 (c) GRANT USES. -
7 (1) IN GENERAL. —An eligible institution
8 awarded a grant under this section shall use the
9 grant amount for purposes as follows:
10 (A) To develop an agenda for maritime
11 and energy training and education.
12 (B) To fund expansion of maritime and
13 energy training and education.
14 (C) To publish or otherwise disseminate
15 findings relating to best practices in maritime
16 and energy training and education.
17 (2) PERIOD OF USE OF FUNDS.—Eligible insti-
18 tutions awarded grants under this section may use
19 the grant amount for a period of five years after the
20 award of the grant.
21 (d) DEFINITIONS. —In this section:
22 (1) The term "eligible institution" means a
23 community college or other public educational insti-
24 tution located in close proximity to port or other ma-
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1 rine facilities on the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean,
2 Pacific Ocean, or Great Lakes that -
3 (A) operates an existing maritime or en-
4 ergy workforce training program;
5 (B) offers accredited programs in academic
6 areas such as port related transportation, logis-
7 tics, and supply chain management and ship -
8 building and ship repair, among other areas rel-
9 evant to maritime or energy related workforce
10 training;
11 (C) is well recognized in the field of mari-
12 time workforce training; and
13 (D) has an established association with -
14 (1) a port authority; and
15 (ii) the Department of Energy, the
16 Department of Defense, the Department of
17 Homeland Security, the Department of
18 Transportation, the Department of Vet -
19 erans Affairs, or other appropriate govern -
20 ment agencies.
21 (2) The term "veteran" has the meaning given
22 that term in section 101 of title 3S, United States
23 Code.
24 (e) AuTIIORIZATION OF APPROPRIATION'S. —There
25 are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for
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1 each of fiscal years 2016, 2017, and 2018, $12,000,000
2 to carry- out this section.
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