§ 54102. Centers of excellence for domestic maritime workforce training and education

• (a) The Secretary of Transportation may designate as a center of excellence for domestic maritime workforce training and education a covered training entity located in a State that borders on the—
  • (1) Gulf of Mexico;
  • (2) Atlantic Ocean;
  • (3) Long Island Sound;
  • (4) Pacific Ocean;
  • (5) Great Lakes;
  • (6) Mississippi River System;
  • (7) Arctic; or
  • (8) Gulf of Alaska.
• (b) The Secretary may enter into a cooperative agreement (as that term is used in section 6305 of title 31 ) with a center of excellence designated under subsection (a) to support maritime workforce training and education at the center of excellence, including efforts of the center of excellence to—
  • (1) admit additional students;
  • (2) recruit and train faculty;
  • (3) expand facilities;
  • (4) create new maritime career pathways; or
  • (5) award students credit for prior experience, including military service.
• (c) In this section,
  • (1) the term “covered training entity” means an entity that is—
    • (A) a community or technical college; or
    • (B) a maritime training center—
      • (i) operated by, or under the supervision of, a State; and
      • (ii) with a maritime training program in operation on the date of enactment of this section.
  • (2) The term “Arctic” has the meaning that term has under section 112 of the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 ( 15 U.S.C. 4111 ).