ROTORCRAFT OPERATIONS TRANSPARENCY AND OVERSIGHT REFORM ACT

On 2026-02-23, Representative André Carson (D-IN-7) delivered a floor speech titled "ROTORCRAFT OPERATIONS TRANSPARENCY AND OVERSIGHT REFORM ACT" in the House. The speech addressed taxes and also covered the environment, defense. It referenced legislation: S2503.

ROTORCRAFT OPERATIONS TRANSPARENCY AND OVERSIGHT REFORM ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 35 (Monday, February 23, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 35 (Monday, February 23, 2026)] [House] [Pages H2248-H2257] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] ROTORCRAFT OPERATIONS TRANSPARENCY AND OVERSIGHT REFORM ACT Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2503) to require all aircraft to be equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast In, to improve aviation safety, and for other purposes. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: S. 2503 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform Act'' or the ``ROTOR Act''. SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. (2) ADS-B in.--The term ``ADS-B In'' means onboard avionics equipment that receives and processes Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast transmissions that are broadcast in accordance with sections 91.225 and 91.227 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulations), and other aviation advisory information from ground stations, that provides the aircraft with awareness to the location of other aircraft and traffic advisories. (3) ADS-B out.--The term ``ADS-B Out''-- (A) has the meaning given such term in section 91.227 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations; and (B) broadcasts information from the aircraft in accordance with sections 91.225 and 91.227 of such title 14 (or any successor regulations). (4) Affected aircraft.--The term ``affected aircraft'' means any aircraft that is required to operate in accordance with section 91.225 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation. (5) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives. (6) Cabinet member.--The term ``Cabinet Member'' means an individual who is the head (including an acting head) of the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Defense, the Department of Education, the Department of Energy, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, the Department of State, the Department of Transportation, the Department of the Treasury, or the Department of Veterans Affairs, or any other individual who occupies a position designated by the President as a Cabinet-level position. (7) FAA.--The term ``FAA'' means the Federal Aviation Administration. (8) National capital region; ncr.--The terms ``National Capital Region'' and ``NCR'' mean the geographic area located within the boundaries of-- (A) the District of Columbia; (B) Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties in the State of Maryland; (C) Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William Counties and the City of Alexandria in the Commonwealth of Virginia; and (D) all cities and other units of government within the geographic areas described in subparagraphs (A) through (C). (9) Powered-lift.--The term ``powered-lift''-- (A) has the meaning given such term in section 1.1 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation); and (B) includes vertical-lift flight mode and wing-borne flight mode, as such terms are defined in section 194.103 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation). [[Page H2249]] (10) Rotorcraft.--The term ``rotorcraft'' has the meaning given such term in section 1.1 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation). (11) Transport airplane.--The term ``transport airplane'' has the meaning given such term in section 44741(i) of title 49, United States Code. (12) Unmanned aircraft system.--The term ``unmanned aircraft system'' has the meaning given such term in section 44801 of title 49, United States Code. SEC. 3. REVISION TO EXCEPTION FOR ADS-B OUT TRANSMISSION. (a) ADS-B Out Reforms.-- (1) In general.-- (A) Sensitive government mission.--Beginning on the date of enactment of this section, in applying section 91.225(f)(1) of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, the term ``sensitive government mission'' shall be narrowly construed and shall not include routine flights, non-classified flights, proficiency flights, or flights of Federal officials below the rank of Cabinet Member or the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (B) Notification.--For the purposes of interpreting section 91.225(f)(1) of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, the operating agency shall-- (i) when operating a sensitive government mission during which the aircraft will not be transmitting ADS-B Out, notify Air Traffic Control; and (ii) notify the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on the Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on the Armed Services of the House of Representatives on a monthly basis regarding each sensitive government mission within Class B airspace operated during such month. (2) Rulemaking and administrative action.-- (A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall-- (i) issue or revise regulations to update section 91.225(f) of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, to comply with the requirements of this section; and (ii) revise any memorandum of agreement between the FAA and any other Federal, State, local, or Tribal agency to conform with the revised regulations described in clause (i), including any agreement pursuant to section 1046 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (49 U.S.C. 40101 note). (B) Report.--If the Administrator fails to issue or revise regulations pursuant to subparagraph (A) or revise any memorandum of agreement between the FAA and any other agency pursuant to such subparagraph, the Administrator shall, within 30 days, submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the status of such regulations, including the reasons that the Administrator has failed to issue or revise such regulations within the period required under such subparagraph. (b) GAO Review and Report.--Not later than the date that is 2 years after the date of enactment of this section, the Comptroller General of the United States shall-- (1) review the utilization of exceptions under section 91.225(f) of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation), as revised under subsection (a), to determine-- (A) whether the Department of Defense and other relevant Federal agencies or other applicable operators have utilized such exceptions in accordance with relevant laws and regulations; and (B) the extent of such utilization; (2) compare the utilization of exceptions specified in such section 91.225(f) before and after the issuance of revised regulations under subsection (a); and (3) submit to the Administrator and the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the findings of the review conducted under paragraph (1) and the comparison conducted under paragraph (2). (c) FAA Review of Non-compliant Operators.--Upon submission of the report under subsection (b)(3), the Administrator shall-- (1) determine whether any Federal agency or other applicable operator that has been found to have not utilized the exceptions under section 91.225(f) of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation), as revised under subsection (a), in accordance with relevant laws and regulations shall be permitted to continue to utilize such exceptions; and (2) not later than 30 days after the date on which the Comptroller General submits the report under subsection (b)(3), brief the appropriate committees of Congress on such determination. (d) Reports.-- (1) To the administrator.--Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this section, and on a quarterly basis thereafter, each Federal, State, local, and Tribal agency that performs sensitive government missions as described in section 91.225(f)(1) of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation), as revised under subsection (a), shall submit to the Administrator a report that includes-- (A) an attestation that such operations are regularly transmitting ADS-B Out and are conducted with proper consideration to aviation safety; (B) a list of operations delineated by flight in which the ADS-B Out equipment is not in transmit mode because the aircraft was performing a sensitive government mission, including the airport, airspace location, date, time, duration, and mission type of each such operation; and (C) with respect to any classified operation, a classified annex. (2) To congress.-- (A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, and biannually thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the frequency and nature of the ADS-B Out exceptions granted to Federal, State, local, and Tribal agencies under section 91.225(f)(1) of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation), as revised under subsection (a). Such report-- (i) shall include-- (I) aggregated data on the operations in which ADS-B Out equipment is not in transmit mode by each agency described in paragraph (1); and (II) a determination from the Administrator as to whether each operation described in paragraph (1)(B) jeopardizes aviation safety; and (ii) may include a classified annex. (B) Special notification.--If an agency described in parag

Referenced legislation: S2503, S2503