The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee is scheduled to vote on aviation safety legislation on October 21, 2025, aimed at closing gaps in how military aircraft airspace rules are enforced. A key provision of the bipartisan Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act is to expand aircraft-tracking requirements following January’s fatal mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army helicopter near Washington’s Reagan National Airport that killed 67 people.
Aviation Safety Legislation Expands Aircraft Tracking
The Senate Commerce Committee, chaired by Senator Ted Cruz, is scheduled to take up the Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act on October 21. The aviation safety regulation is being co-led by Senator Maria Cantwell, highlighting a rare show of bipartisan unity on aviation reform.
At the heart of the aviation safety legislation are new rules requiring all aircraft flying in controlled airspace including military and law-enforcement flights, to carry Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) systems. The Army helicopter in the January crash was not using its ADS-B tracking, leaving air traffic controllers unaware of its exact position.
The bill would limit long-standing military exemptions and make ADS-B tracking mandatory for both ‘ADS-B Out,’ which broadcasts an aircraft’s position, and ‘ADS-B In,’ which allows pilots to receive nearby-traffic data. Lawmakers say that closing these gaps in military aircraft airspace rules will make shared skies safer for everyone.
FAA Scrutiny and Oversight Provisions
The ROTOR Act also directs the Army Inspector General to audit ‘systemic failures’ identified by the National Transportation Safety Board, including altitude violations and air-traffic-control staffing shortages. Lawmakers and other officials have pressed the Federal Aviation Administration on why it failed to address years of close calls involving military helicopters near Reagan National.
In a June 2025 statement, Senator Maria Cantwell said that the collision near Reagan National Airport “exposed critical gaps in aviation safety oversight” and that legislation is needed to close “dangerous loopholes” and mandate “modern surveillance systems that enhance pilot awareness of nearby aircraft”.
Read the latest news on recent U.S. government aviation funding cuts here.
Bipartisan Push for Modern Airspace Rules
Cruz called the proposal a “common sense fix” that strengthens safety without compromising national security. Both senators are finalising the text ahead of the Senate aviation safety vote, which marks the first major reform effort since the January crash.
If approved, the aviation safety legislation will advance to the full Senate for debate later this session, signalling a significant step toward modernising military aircraft airspace rules and improving national ADS-B tracking standards.
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