ROTOR Act

The bill requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue a rule so that, by the end of 2031, almost all aircraft that must broadcast their position using ADS‑B Out must also be able to receive traffic information using ADS‑B In. The FAA must set performance standards for this equipment, allow lower‑cost options for smaller general aviation planes, and give technical guidance so operators know what systems qualify. Operators can request up to one extra year to comply in limited cases if needed to avoid major disruption and if they have a clean safety record. The bill sharply narrows when government aircraft can claim a “sensitive government mission” exception that lets them turn off ADS‑B Out broadcasting. Training, practice flights, and flights of officials below Cabinet level would no longer qualify. Agencies that use these exceptions must report regularly to the FAA, and the FAA must report to Congress, flagging heavy users of the exceptions. The Department of Transportation’s Inspector General must audit how the FAA oversees these exceptions every year. The FAA must also use ADS‑B technology and other tools to update aircraft separation standards and related air traffic controller procedures, and then retrain controllers. The bill directs the FAA to create an action plan to deploy the next‑generation Airborne Collision Avoidance System (ACAS‑X) and to work with industry, labor, the military, and foreign aviation regulators on standards and rollout. It also tasks an advisory committee to study whether aircraft in Class D airspace should be required to carry ADS‑B Out and ADS‑B In. The bill orders the Army Inspector General to audit Army helicopter operations in the National Capital Region, including training, coordination with the FAA, compliance with policies, and maintenance of UH‑60 Black Hawk helicopters. The audit results must be shared with Congress and, with limited national security redactions, with the public, with interim progress briefings every 6 months. The FAA must create an Office of FAA‑DOD Coordination to oversee how military and civil aviation share airspace and safety data. That office must conduct detailed safety reviews of military, law enforcement, emergency, and civil helicopter, powered‑lift, fixed‑wing, and drone operations around Washington, DC’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and then around other busy Class B, C, and certain Class D airports. These reviews use specific risk factors and must result in reports to Congress with findings and any needed corrective actions. Finally, the Administrator must sign data‑sharing agreements with the Army and other military departments so FAA and the military can exchange aviation safety information, and a prior law about ADS‑B equipment on some Department of Defense aircraft is repealed.

The bill aims to increase situational awareness for pilots and air traffic controllers by making ADS‑B In common across much of the U.S. fleet. When aircraft can both broadcast and receive position and traffic information, they can better see nearby traffic on cockpit displays, which may reduce the risk of midair conflicts and runway incursions. Updated separation standards and controller training built around these tools could also affect how efficiently busy airspace and airport surfaces are managed. Tightening the rules on when government aircraft can turn off ADS‑B broadcasting may increase transparency for other airspace users and for the public, while still allowing exceptions for truly sensitive missions. Regular reporting, audits, and new safety reviews focused on military and rotorcraft operations near large commercial airports respond to concerns about “loss of separation” incidents and complex mixed traffic. The required safety data‑sharing between the FAA and the Department of Defense could change how quickly risks are spotted and addressed, but the exact safety impact will depend on how these new offices, rules, and technologies are implemented in practice. For aircraft owners and operators, especially in general aviation, the ADS‑B In mandate could mean new equipment costs, installation downtime, and training needs. The bill attempts to address this by allowing lower‑cost alternatives for smaller aircraft, phasing in deadlines, and allowing limited extensions. However, the overall cost and operational impact on different types of operators will depend on the final FAA rules and available technology options.

• Requires the FAA to issue a final rule within 2 years that mandates ADS‑B In equipment on all aircraft that are already required to have ADS‑B Out (with unmanned aircraft excluded), unless air traffic control authorizes otherwise.
• Sets an effective date for the ADS‑B In rule no later than 60 days after publication, and a fleet‑wide equipage deadline of December 31, 2031, with possible one‑year extensions for some in‑service aircraft under strict conditions.
• Directs the FAA to define performance standards for ADS‑B In, including visual and aural traffic advisories in the air and on the airport surface, and to approve lower‑cost alternative technologies for lighter general aviation aircraft under 12,500 pounds.
• Narrows the regulatory definition of “sensitive government mission” so that training and proficiency flights and flights of non‑Cabinet‑level Federal officials cannot use the ADS‑B Out exception.
• Requires Federal, State, local, and Tribal agencies using the “sensitive government mission” exception to file quarterly reports to the FAA listing each flight where ADS‑B Out was turned off, and requires the FAA to send semiannual aggregate reports and special notifications to Congress.
• Orders the Government Accountability Office to review and compare use of the ADS‑B exception before and after the new rules and to report on whether agencies are complying; the FAA must then decide whether non‑compliant users may continue using the exception.
• Requires the Department of Transportation Inspector General to conduct annual audits of FAA oversight of all ADS‑B exception operations and to brief Congress each year.
• Directs the FAA to update separation standards and revise key FAA Orders (including 7110.65) to use ADS‑B and other technologies for safety and efficiency, and to update initial and recurrent controller training accordingly.
• Mandates an FAA action plan for national deployment of ACAS‑X, including needed research, funding, certification work, stakeholder engagement, and international coordination.
• Orders the Army Inspector General to audit Army helicopter operations and ADS‑B Out use in the National Capital Region, including UH‑60 maintenance practices and compliance with a 2021 agreement on Pentagon–DCA helicopter operations, with public release of results subject to national security limits and periodic interim briefings.
• Creates an Office of FAA‑DOD Coordination within the FAA to manage civil‑military airspace use, safety information systems, and required airspace safety reviews.
• Requires safety reviews of mixed military, law enforcement, emergency, and civil operations in the Washington, DC Special Flight Rules Area around Reagan National and at other Class B, C, and specified Class D airports, using defined risk criteria and timelines, with recurring reports to Congress.
• Requires Memoranda of Understanding between the FAA and the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard to allow appropriate sharing of aviation safety data between military systems and the FAA.
• Repeals Section 1046 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 related to ADS‑B equipment on certain Department of Defense aircraft.

• The bill does not itself set exact technical specifications for ADS‑B In; it instead requires the FAA to define performance standards and then presumes, by law, that ADS‑B In is cost‑beneficial unless there is “clear and compelling” evidence otherwise, which is an unusual statutory direction for a safety technology.
• Although the bill focuses on rotorcraft in its title, many provisions apply broadly to fixed‑wing aircraft, powered‑lift, and, in some reviews, unmanned aircraft systems across the national airspace system.
• The new Office of FAA‑DOD Coordination is tasked not only with civil‑military coordination but also with broader safety‑data system improvements, which may affect how a wide range of aviation safety reports are collected and managed, beyond just military operations.
• Repealing the 2019 NDAA provision on ADS‑B equipment for certain Defense Department aircraft removes an earlier, separate framework, so the military’s ADS‑B responsibilities would instead flow from the revised FAA regulations and this act’s new exception limits.