Senate Passes Helicopter Safety Legislation

Bill is expected to override a controversial section of the National Defense Authorization Act.

Zach Vasile

Wednesday, December 17, 2025 at 05:16 PM ET

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Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A U.S. Army Black Hawk flies over Washington, D.C. [Credit: Nicholas Priest/U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Senate approved the Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act to enhance aircraft collision prevention, prompted by a recent crash and concerns over military flight regulations.
The ROTOR Act mandates that all civilian and military aircraft equip with ADS-B navigation technology by 2031 and requires military aircraft to activate ADS-B when flying in the Washington, D.C., region.
This new legislation supersedes Section 373 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which would have allowed military officials to waive regulations for broadcasting aircraft positions, addressing significant safety concerns.

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The U.S. Senate on Wednesday approved a set of rules designed to prevent collisions between aircraft, just days after language in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) sparked concern that Washington was not doing enough to prevent a repeat of a January crash involving an American Airlines airplane and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter.

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas sought and received unanimous consent for the Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act, which he has advocated for since the summer. The version of the bill passed Wednesday requires all civilian and military operators to equip their aircraft with ADS-B navigation technology by 2031. It also mandates military aircraft to turn on ADS-B while flying in the Washington, D.C., region.