Govwatch

Introduced

In Committee

Passed One Chamber

4

Passed Both

5

Signed into Law

Failed — Did not pass vote

Sponsor

Ted Cruz

Republican · TX · Senator

Votes with party: 75.7% (868 recorded votes)

Top industries funding sponsor:

Conservative Groups$464k

Full profile: /officials/C001098

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

Cosponsors (21)

Members who have signed on to support this bill since introduction. Source: Congress.gov.

Latest Action

The most recent step in the bill's legislative path. Committee Activity below shows referrals and reports; the full action-by-action history including floor proceedings lives at Congress.gov →

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Failed by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 264 - 133 (Roll no. 72).

2026-02-24

Source: Congress.gov

Committee Activity

Currently in

Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and TransportationReported By · 2025-11-18

Previously

Commerce, Science, and Transportation CommitteeReported By · 2025-11-18
Commerce, Science, and Transportation CommitteeMarkup By · 2025-10-21
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and TransportationMarkup By · 2025-10-21
Commerce, Science, and Transportation CommitteeReferred To · 2025-07-29
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and TransportationReferred To · 2025-07-29

Plain-English Summary

Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform Act or the ROTOR Act This 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 information) between aircraft and air traffic control. Under the bill, aircraft must generally operate with ADS-B In equipment to provide the aircraft with location information of other aircraft and traffic advisories. Current law does not require this equipment. Current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations allow aircraft performing a sensitive government mission to be excepted from requirements for using ADS-B Out equipment. This bill limits which flights may be considered sensitive government missions (e.g., not training flights) and requires additional reporting and notifications for the exception. The Government Accountability Office must review the use of the ADS-B Out exception and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Transportation must annually audit FAA oversight of operations that use the exception. Further, the bill repeals a 2025 law that exempts certain military helicopters from the ADS-B Out requirements for the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. The bill also requires the OIG of the Army to audit the Army’s coordination with the FAA, the FAA to establish an office to coordinate airspace usage of military aircraft and review the safety of flight operations and routes around airports, and the FAA to enter into memoranda of understanding with military agencies for safety information sharing.

Plain-English rewrite of the Congressional Research Service summary published on Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed.

Subjects

Transportation and Public Works

Full bill text is not yet cached locally.

Open text view Read on Congress.gov

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