Montana committee backs bill barring ADS‑B data for automated invoicing of small planes

The House Transportation Committee voted to advance House Bill 571 after a hearing in which pilots and aviation groups urged the panel to bar the use of Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADSB) data to generate invoices for general aviation aircraft that operate under 14 CFR part 91 and have gross weight of 9,000 pounds or less.

Representative Clacken, sponsor of the one‑page bill, said the measure is narrowly drawn to prevent airports or private companies from using ADS‑B — a GPS‑based safety and traffic‑management system — to calculate, generate or collect landing fees from small aircraft. "ADSB is a system that gives really good clarity to where aircraft are in the air," Clacken said in opening remarks, but he told the committee he does not want the safety system used as a means to invoice private pilots.

Pilots and advocacy groups described instances where third‑party vendors or FBOs have sent bills to aircraft owners after automated data collection. Tim Robertson, president of the Montana Pilots Association, likened automated ADS‑B invoicing to an invisible toll gate at the end of an exit ramp: "You just got off the freeway, you're gonna pay the toll," Robertson said, urging the committee to protect pilots from surprise charges. Jack Galt and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) echoed concerns that private companies are monetizing ADS‑B feeds and that failing to act could cause some pilots to disable equipment, which proponents said would harm aviation safety.

Airport managers and commercial airport representatives opposed the bill. Ross Marty, president of the Montana Airport Managers Association, told the committee that Montana airports in his membership generally do not charge landing fees for aircraft under the bill's weight threshold. He said that automated ADS‑B systems have improved operational efficiency and that banning ADS‑B billing would not eliminate fees, but instead force airports to collect them with more manual processes that may raise costs. Ian McKay of the Flathead Municipal Airport Authority warned that restricting data use could complicate airports' ability to meet FAA grant assurances and jeopardize funding that supports infrastructure projects at Montana airports.

Tim Conway, administrator of aeronautics at the Montana Department of Transportation, appeared as an informational witness to answer technical questions about ADS‑B and grant programs. Committee members asked whether the bill would hinder airports’ ability to use ADS‑B data for FAA grant applications and for facility planning; opponents said the current draft could limit some uses of ADS‑B, while the sponsor and proponents emphasized the bill’s stated intent is limited to preventing invoicing based on ADS‑B for small GA aircraft.

After questioning, the committee voted 9‑5 to report HB571 do pass. The committee record shows the bill is limited to aircraft under 9,000 pounds operating under part 91; commercial charter operations (part 135) and air carriers (part 121) were not included in the sponsor’s target group. The measure now moves to the House for further consideration.

Next steps: HB571 will be scheduled for floor consideration in the House, where amendments and further debate are possible.