SENATOR STORM’S AERO ACT TAKES FLIGHT
Senate Bill 127 approved by Senate 37-0; qualifies for House consideration
FRANKFORT, KY (Feb. 7, 2024) — Sen. Brandon Storm, R-London, carried his 2024 Legislative Session priority legislation to Senate passage on Wednesday. Senate Bill 127 (SB 127), known as the AERO Act (Aerospace Education Reinvestment Opportunity), is workforce-centric. It would enhance the education and training pipeline for aviation and aerospace professionals in Kentucky by establishing scholarship funds and collaboration between public programs and private partners within the industry.
Key provisions of SB 127 include the creation of the Kentucky Aerospace, Aviation, and Defense Investment Fund, administered by the Council on Postsecondary Education. The fund is intended to support collaborations between various programs, industry partners, and the commonwealth to address workforce demands. A priority of the bill is to establish private financial and philanthropic support for the investment fund. At least 65 percent of the fund is for partnerships between aviation and aerospace programs and industry partners to provide training scholarships for Kentucky residents enrolled in programs. Thirty-five percent of the fund would be reserved for contracts between public aviation programs and industry partners to provide grants for equipment for public high school vocational programs or postsecondary education institutions.
“I think this bill is vitally critical,” Storm said in his bill presentation, emphasizing its economic development and workforce significance.
“We’re looking at a broad spectrum of workers. Pilots, sheet metal fabricators, avionic mechanics, power plant and airframe mechanics, flight engineers and many others.”
Storm added the measure is a product of efforts by educational institutions, industry professionals and his fellow legislators.
Storm is the Aviation/Aerospace legislative caucus co-chair and the Senate Transportation Committee vice chair. He also represents Laurel County, home to the London-Corbin Airport. Storm believes a regional airport signifies economic life for a community and a region. His leadership positions with the committee and caucus and his representation of a region experiencing vast economic growth position him well to lead on his session priority of strengthening Kentucky’s already robust aviation and aerospace industry.
Kentucky universities and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System have also made great strides in aviation and aerospace education. Eastern Kentucky University, Storm’s alma mater, offers a four-year aviation degree, and its enrollment has nearly tripled over the last three to four years. KCTCS’ aviation program allows students to earn the FAA ratings required to become a professional pilot, including the private pilot certificate, instrument rating, commercial pilot certificate, multi-engine rating (airplane track), and the certified flight instructor certificate. Additionally, Morehead State University has an exciting Space Science Center and a satellite tracking station as part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) network.
Kentucky is home to more than 100 aerospace-related facilities that employ nearly 100,000 people. Kentucky has announced roughly 40 aerospace-related projects since 2017, totaling more than $1.1 billion in investment and more than 2,800 jobs. In recent state reports, Kentucky exported approximately $20 billion in aerospace products and parts. According to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the overall annual impact of the aerospace and defense industry is $19.4 billion. However, federal studies project a need for almost 800,000 new pilots worldwide over the next 20 years.
Mirror legislation to SB 127, HB 345, has been introduced in the Kentucky state House of Representatives by Storm’s fellow co-chair of the Aviation/Aerospace Caucus, Rep. Ken Fleming, R-Louisville.
“Rep. Fleming is championing this effort in the state House of Representatives, so I feel good about the prospects of one of our bills getting to the Governor’s desk and signed into law,” Storm said. “I hope we can secure some funding to support this effort because our aviation and aerospace industry is an economic game-changer.”
Find archived footage of Storm’s bill presentation and floor discussion on SB 127 later at KET.org/legislature/archives and learn more about Storm at legislature.ky.gov or KYSenateRepublicans.com.
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Sen. Brandon J. Storm, R-London, represents the 21st Senate District, including Casey, Lincoln, Laurel, and Rockcastle Counties. He recently graduated from the esteemed Henry Toll Fellowship and was the only Kentuckian to participate in the 2023 program. Senator Storm serves as a Senate member of the Interim Joint Committees of Banking and Insurance; Economic Development and Workforce Investment; Judiciary; Local Government; State Government; Transportation; and Tourism, Small Business and Information Technology. He also serves as the co-chair of the Legislative Oversight and Investigations Committee; a member of the Jail and Corrections Reform Task Force; and a member of the Multimodal Freight Transportation System Improvement Task Force.
For a high-resolution .jpeg of Storm, please visit: https://legislature.ky.gov/Legislators/Pages/Legislator-Profile.aspx?DistrictNumber=121.
Please visit Legislature.ky.gov for more information on Senate Majority Caucus members and the 2024 Legislative Session, such as committee schedules, membership, legislation, and more.
Live legislative coverage is available at KET.org/legislature and via the Legislative Research Commission YouTube channel.
Access archived footage of legislative meetings at ket.org/legislature/archives.
Follow the Kentucky Senate Majority Caucus on X, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also find information on caucus members, as well as view press releases from our office, by visiting KYSenateRepublicans.com.