The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to consider aviation safety legislation next week, which originally came in response to the January 2025 midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
According to new reporting from Reuters, the measure would address recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board and includes provisions tied to the Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act, which calls for expanded use of automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) technology and additional oversight of aircraft operations near major airports.
The Senate passed a version of the ROTOR Act in December, and House committees are working on related legislation that would incorporate safety changes and review airspace procedures around commercial hubs. The NTSB identified a variety of issues that had gone unaddressed prior to the accident, including ones involving helicopter routes and separation from commercial aircraft near the airport, as well as oversight gaps tied to traffic management and data review. The agency also issued more than 30 recommendations following its investigation into the accident.
In a Feb. 18 letter to House members, labor organizations, including the ALPA, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, and others, urged passage of the ROTOR Act and cited NTSB findings on ADS-B technology and situational awareness.
“This crash was predictable and preventable, and the only way to avoid another recurrence and honor the lives of those lost is to implement the ROTOR Act and its clearly delineated performance standards for ADS-B In as well as the remaining NTSB recommendations,” the groups wrote.
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