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2018 SESSION

18103987D
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 40
Offered January 10, 2018
Prefiled January 9, 2018
Establishing a joint committee of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education to study aviation and aerospace certification of teachers and curriculum. Report.
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Patron-- Cosgrove
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Referred to Committee on Rules
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WHEREAS, the Joint Committee on Technology and Science has conducted research and gathered information indicating that 648,000 new airline mechanics and 637,000 new airline pilots are needed worldwide over the next 20 years, 117,000 of which are needed in North America alone; and

WHEREAS, such aviation and aerospace jobs are well-paying and secure positions that would be beneficial to the Virginia economy; and

WHEREAS, the aviation and aerospace industries continue to grow and develop in new ways and provide opportunities to other industries; and

WHEREAS, the Joint Committee on Technology and Science has found that Virginia public schools, institutions of higher education, technical training programs, and other workforce development programs will be unable to meet the future demand for aviation and aerospace workers as a result of most K-12 schools' inability to provide aviation and aerospace curriculum and courses that comply with the Standards of Learning; and

WHEREAS, the Joint Committee on Technology and Science has found that those programs and schools that are able to provide such curriculum often have difficulty finding professionals who are qualified to teach such curriculum by virtue of having obtained licenses and certifications from the Federal Aviation Administration and who also meet the licensing requirements to teach in Virginia public schools; and

WHEREAS, it is in the interest of the General Assembly to make available such education and training programs as are necessary to meet the future workforce demands of the aviation and aerospace industries, and to support and encourage existing programs; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That a joint committee of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committee on Education be established to study aviation and aerospace certification of teachers and curriculum. The joint committee shall have a total membership of 13 members, consisting of five members of the Senate Committee on Education and Health to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules upon the recommendation of the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and eight members of the House Committee on Education to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates upon the recommendation of the Chairman of the House Committee on Education. The joint committee shall elect a chairman and vice-chairman from among its membership.

In conducting its study, the joint committee shall (i) seek out and interview representatives of aviation and aerospace workforce development programs and hear recommendations for changes that can be made to state law to assist, expand, and support such programs; (ii) provide recommendations for changes to state law that will ease the certification process for teachers of K-12 aviation and aerospace courses when such teachers are qualified by other professional organizations, while maintaining the overall high quality of Virginia's public education system; and (iii) provide recommendations for changes to state law that will provide Virginia students opportunities to learn aviation and aerospace curricula in compliance with the Standards of Learning.

Administrative staff support shall be provided by the Office of the Clerk of the Senate. Legal, research, policy analysis, and other services as requested by the joint committee shall be provided by the Division of Legislative Services. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the joint committee for this study, upon request.

The joint committee shall be limited to four meetings for the 2018 interim. An estimated $24,440 is allocated for reimbursement of travel and other expenses.  Approval for unbudgeted nonmember-related expenses shall require the written authorization of the chairman of the joint committee and the respective Clerk. If a companion joint resolution of the other chamber is agreed to, written authorization of both Clerks shall be required.

No recommendation of the joint committee shall be adopted if a majority of the Senate members or a majority of the House members of the joint committee (a) vote against the recommendation and (b) vote for the recommendation to fail notwithstanding the majority vote of the joint committee.

The joint committee shall complete its meetings by November 30, 2018, and the chairman shall submit an executive summary of its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the 2019 Regular Session of the General Assembly to the Division of Legislative Automated Systems. The executive summary shall state whether the joint committee intends to submit to the General Assembly and the Governor a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a House or Senate document. The executive summary and the report shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.

Implementation of this resolution is subject to subsequent approval and certification by the Joint Rules Committee. The Committee may approve or disapprove expenditures for this study, extend or delay the period for the conduct of the study, or authorize additional meetings during the 2018 interim.