HR-6222 — ROTOR Act | YourVoice.Now

YourVoice.Now Summary

Your MoneyWorkers & JobsCorporate BenefitsTransparency & Accountability

Requires aircraft to spot nearby traffic by 2031 — and narrows the rule letting government flights go untracked.

Your Money

Small aircraft owners' costs — new traffic-display gear due by 2031

Any aircraft that must already broadcast its position would also have to carry equipment that shows nearby traffic. Owners would pay for it, with the FAA rule due within two years and the gear in place by December 31, 2031.

Small aircraft owners' costs — a portable receiver or tablet may count

For planes under 12,500 pounds flown under general aviation rules, the FAA must set a low-cost way to comply. Portable receivers and tablet displays can count, as long as they do not affect the aircraft's other required equipment.

Workers & Jobs

Pilots' view of nearby traffic — cockpit alerts required by 2031

The equipment must warn flight crews about other aircraft, both in the air and on the runway. Warnings can be visual or spoken.

Controllers retrained on new spacing rules — by the end of 2032

The FAA would propose new rules for how far apart aircraft must stay, using the new equipment. Controller training and FAA orders would be updated within a year of the 2031 deadline.

Corporate Benefits

Extra year to comply — operators may delay equipment until 2032

An aircraft owner or operator could ask the FAA for up to one more year past December 31, 2031. The FAA must find the extra time is needed to avoid major disruption to air travel, and the operator must have no uncorrected safety violations.

Transparency & Accountability

Government flights you can track — training and practice no longer exempt

The FAA lets government aircraft switch off their position broadcast for a "sensitive government mission." That reason would be read narrowly and could not cover training flights, practice flights, or flights of officials below Cabinet rank.

Logs of untracked flights — filed with the FAA every three months

Every federal, state, local, and tribal agency using the exception would list each flight it flew without broadcasting, giving the airport, date, time, length, and mission type. Using the exception five or more times in a month sends Congress a notice within 14 days.

Agencies can lose the exception — FAA decides after an outside review

The Government Accountability Office would review how the exception is used within two years. The FAA would then decide whether an agency that broke the rules may keep using it, and tell Congress within 30 days.

Military aircraft covered by FAA rules — a defense-law carve-out repealed

Congress set a separate ADS-B rule for some Defense Department aircraft in the 2019 defense authorization act. Section 8 repeals it, so the FAA's regular rules would apply.

Army audit of Black Hawk flights — released publicly, nothing blacked out

The Army's Inspector General would examine crew training, coordination with the FAA, and Black Hawk maintenance around Washington, DC. The full report must reach Congress and the public within 14 days of the audit ending, with cuts only for national security.

Airport airspace reviews — Reagan National first, then busier airports nationwide

A new FAA office would study military, police, medical, and drone flight routes near big airports and report the risks to Congress. Reviews of the busiest airports would start within 90 days, with mid-size and smaller ones following.

FAA's cost review — new gear counted as worth its price

When writing the rule, the FAA must start from the position that the equipment pays off in safety. Only clear and compelling evidence could support a different finding.

More about this bill

Aircraft that already must broadcast their position would also need gear showing pilots where other aircraft are. That receiving gear is not required today. The FAA would write the rule within two years. Planes and helicopters would have to be equipped by December 31, 2031. Owners of aircraft under 12,500 pounds could use a cheaper option. A portable receiver or a tablet display could count. Government aircraft may now turn off that broadcast for a "sensitive government mission." That exception would shrink as soon as the bill became law. It would no longer cover training flights, practice flights, or trips by officials below Cabinet rank. Agencies would send the FAA a log every three months. Each untracked flight would be listed with its airport, time, and length. Using the exception five or more times in one month would trigger a notice to Congress. A defense-law carve-out for some military aircraft would also be repealed. The Army's Inspector General would audit how its Black Hawk crews train and work with the FAA near Washington, DC. That report would go to the public with nothing blacked out, except where national security requires it. A new FAA office would review flight routes at Reagan National first, then at busier airports nationwide. Those reviews would cover military, police, medical, and drone flights near the airports.

Congressional Summary

Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform Act or the ROTOR ActThis bill addresses aviation safety by increasing requirements for aircraft tracking and communication using Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology and expanding oversight.As background, ADS-B for broadcasting (Out) and receiving (In) transmits information (e.g., location and weather information) between aircraft and air traffic control.Under the bill, aircraft must generally operate with ADS-B In equipment to provide the aircraft with location information of other aircraft and traffic advisories. Current law does not require this equipment.Current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations allow aircraft performing a sensitive government mission to be excepted from requirements for using ADS-B Out equipment. This bill limits which flights may be considered sensitive government missions (e.g., not training flights) and requires additional reporting for the exception.The Government Accountability Office must review the use of the ADS-B Out exception and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Transportation (DOT) must annually audit FAA oversight of operations that use the exception. Further, the bill repeals a 2018 law that prohibits DOT from requiring certain military aircraft to install or use ADS-B equipment.The bill also requiresthe OIG of the Army to audit the Army’s coordination with the FAA,the FAA to establish an office to coordinate airspace usage of military aircraft and review the safety of flight operations and routes around airports, andthe FAA to enter into memoranda of understanding with military agencies for safety information sharing.

Legislative Subjects

Administrative law and regulatory proceduresAdvisory bodiesAviation and airportsComputers and information technologyCongressional oversightDepartment of TransportationEmployment and training programsFederal officialsGovernment information and archivesGovernment studies and investigationsLabor-management relationsPublic-private cooperationTransportation safety and security

Details

Congress: 119th
Chamber: House
Status: summarized
Action: Introduced in House
Action Date: 2025-11-20
Date Added: 2026-05-17
Source: Congress.gov →

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