S1985Referred to Committee

Safe Operations of Shared Airspace Act of 2025

Share:
Introduced
In Committee
3
Passed One Chamber
4
Passed Both
5
Signed into Law
119th
Congress
2025-06-05
Introduced
13
Cosponsors
S
Type

Sponsor

Maria Cantwell
Maria Cantwell
Democrat · WA · Senator
Votes with party: 61.7% (324 recorded votes)

Full profile: /officials/C000127

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

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 →

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

2025-06-05

Source: Congress.gov

Plain-English Summary

Safe Operations of Shared Airspace Act of 2025 This bill addresses aviation safety, such as through increasing requirements for aircraft tracking, communication, and coordination with the military. The bill also addresses Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) workforce issues. For example, the bill revises and increases requirements for using Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) equipment, which 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 (receiving) equipment. The FAA must issue performance requirements for the equipment to provide safety-enhancing capabilities (e.g., facilitating aircraft collision avoidance) for flight crews. Further, current FAA regulations allow aircraft performing a sensitive government mission to be excepted from requirements for using ADS-B Out (broadcasting) equipment. This bill limits which flights may be considered sensitive government missions (e.g., not training flights). The FAA must also (1) establish an office to coordinate airspace usage of military aircraft, (2) review the safety of certain flight operations and routes around airports, and (3) enter into memoranda of understanding with military agencies for safety information sharing. The FAA must conduct a Transport Airplane Risk Assessment Methodology analysis for any transport airplane accidents in the United States that result in a fatality. The bill also addresses FAA workforce issues, such as by excluding the FAA workforce from a federal hiring freeze, deferred resignation program, voluntary furlough, or reduction in force; supporting the recruitment and training of air traffic controllers; and requiring strict adherence to federal conflict of interest requirements.

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.

Related legislation

Bills by the same sponsor or covering overlapping subjects.