Prince George's Community College - Aerospace and Aviation Systems Technology Programs - Feasibility Study
SB 198 requires the Board of Community College Trustees for Prince George’s County, working with the Maryland Higher Education Commission, the Department of Commerce, and the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation, to establish an Aerospace Technology Studies Program at Prince George’s Community College. The program is intended to support aerospace and aviation workforce development and must be designed with industry input. Its curriculum must include aerospace systems technology, avionics and electronics, advanced manufacturing, and artificial intelligence in aerospace, and it must provide work-based learning opportunities such as internships and apprenticeships, along with a pathway from high school to college and into careers.
Before the program is fully established, the college must conduct a comprehensive feasibility study and program design assessment covering workforce demand, employer needs, credential structures, facilities and equipment, faculty requirements, partnerships, costs, and implementation sequencing. The bill also requires formal industry partnerships with at least one aerospace or technology employer in Prince George’s County and sets reporting obligations to state and county officials and legislative committees on both the study and, later, the program’s outcomes. The bill is temporary in nature, taking effect July 1, 2026, and expiring June 30, 2028, unless further action is taken.
The bill adds a new section to the Education Article governing Prince George’s Community College and directs the college’s board to create and plan an aerospace technology studies program subject to Maryland Higher Education Commission approval. It also requires coordination with state and local economic development and workforce entities, mandates annual or periodic reporting, and creates a one-time fiscal-year 2028 budget expectation of $100,000 for the feasibility study and program design work. In practical terms, the bill does not immediately create a permanent academic program by itself; instead, it establishes a state-directed planning process that could lead to new associate degree, certificate, and noncredit workforce offerings in aerospace and aviation systems technology.
The bill appears to have broad support and little visible opposition. It passed the Senate 45-0 and the House 127-2, indicating strong bipartisan approval. The committee report was favorable with amendments, and the Senate adopted floor amendments, suggesting members supported the concept while refining details of implementation and reporting.
The main points of potential contention are not about whether to pursue aerospace workforce training, but about how the program should be structured, funded, and implemented. The bill requires coordination among multiple agencies, industry partners, and the college, and it conditions program establishment on higher education approval, which may raise questions about administrative burden and timing. The temporary appropriation and the need to identify facilities, simulators, equipment, faculty, and sustainable funding could also be areas of concern, especially if the feasibility study identifies higher-than-expected startup costs or limited employer demand.