The U.S. Senate passed the ROTOR Act Wednesday by unanimous consent. Senate passage marks a major milestone for the sweeping aviation safety legislation aimed at preventing midair collisions like the one between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and a PSA CRJ700 that killed 67 people near Washington, D.C., in January.
The bipartisan legislation, introduced by Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Maria Cantwell of Washington, comes in response to that crash. The Black Hawk was not broadcasting its location using ADS-B technology at the time of the accident.
Supporters say the bill will eliminate longstanding blind spots in U.S. airspace safety systems.
“This bill will be a fitting way to honor the lives of those lost nearly a year ago over the Potomac River,” Cruz said. “The ROTOR Act will save lives.
Cantwell echoed that perspective, saying the legislation would be a meaningful step forward for aviation safety.
“This bill represents real progress,” Cantwell said. “We will work with our House colleagues to continue to strengthen this.”
Industry groups, including the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) welcomed the passage.
“This legislation closes the ADS-B Out loopholes that have allowed military and other government aircraft to fly near Washington National Airport and other busy airports without transmitting their location, speed, and altitude,” said Jason Ambrosi, president of the ALPA. “The ROTOR Act crucially mandates uniform, integrated ADSB-In technology for commercial aircraft to provide pilots greater awareness to operate safely in our skies and represents a significant step forward in preventing future tragedies by immediately closing dangerous loopholes and mandating enhanced safety technology.”
Although prompted by military transparency concerns, the ROTOR Act applies broadly. Most aircraft already required to broadcast ADS-B Out, including airliners and many general aviation aircraft flying in certain controlled airspace, must continue doing so. Military operators, however, would face tightened limits on when they can fly without broadcasting.
In addition, all ADS-B Out-equipped aircraft would be required to also carry ADS-B In by 2031. For smaller general aviation aircraft under 12,500 pounds that are ADS-B Out equipped, the wording could give the FAA the ability to allow low-cost ADS-B-In alternatives, such as portable receivers or tablet-based displays.
The bill also mandates nationwide airspace safety reviews, FAA and military data sharing, and independent audits of compliance and exception use.
Take a look at the full text of the legislation here.
