After a midair collision near Reagan National Airport on January 29, 2025, killed all 67 people aboard an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, Congress drafted this sweeping aviation safety overhaul. The bill requires upgraded collision avoidance systems on commercial aircraft and helicopters operating near major airports, closes the specific helicopter route where the crash occurred, and mandates new vertical separation rules so helicopters and planes are kept farther apart during takeoff and landing. Air traffic controllers would get new limits on how long they can work a single position without a break, improved training on visual separation and threat detection, and stronger post-accident drug and alcohol testing procedures. The FAA would have to reassess how many flights Reagan National can safely handle per hour and create a public dashboard tracking progress on every new safety rule. On the military side, the bill creates an entirely new chapter of defense law requiring the Department of Defense to sign formal agreements with the FAA on airspace use, conduct risk assessments before special military flights near busy airports, and report near-miss incidents in the Washington, D.C. region. The bill also prohibits the use of aircraft tracking data to identify or generate revenue from aircraft owners without their consent, addressing growing privacy concerns about flight surveillance.
Congressional Summary
Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency Act of 2026 or the ALERT 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) among aircraft and air traffic control (ATC).The bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) to enter into an agreement regarding the use of collision prevention technologies on DOD aircraft. The agreement must require the use of ADS-B Out as the default practice for DOD helicopters operating in the national airspace, unless such use would affect operational security. For DOD helicopters that are carrying out special missions in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area and are exempt from ADS-B Out transmission requirements, DOD must coordinate with DOT to conduct a safety risk assessment and implement appropriate mitigations.By December 31, 2031, DOD aircraft (other than certain special mission aircraft) must be equipped with and operating integrated ADS-B In technology.With respect to civil aircraft, by December 31, 2031, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) must generally require aircraft that are currently required to be equipped with ADS-B Out to also be equipped with ADS-B In.Additionally, among other requirements, the FAA mustestablish time-on-position limits for supervisory ATC personnel;establish a process to timely notify parties involved in certain near-miss incidents; andevaluate and revise, as necessary, helicopter routes around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Reported to House
- Action Date
- 2026-04-09
- Date Added
- 2026-04-11