House Transportation and Infrastructure committee favorably reports Alert Act after debate over ADS‑B privacy provision

The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure voted to favorably report HR 7613, the Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act, after adopting a manager’s amendment that incorporated technical fixes and numerous bipartisan provisions intended to implement recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board.

The bill, which lawmakers and witnesses repeatedly tied to the Jan. 29 midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that killed 67 people, directs the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration to require and deploy enhanced collision‑alerting and avoidance technologies, improve air‑traffic‑controller training, modernize facilities, increase data sharing and transparency, and review helicopter routes in complex airspace.

Chairman Graves, who offered the amendment in the nature of a substitute and the manager’s amendment, said the legislation implements the NTSB’s safety recommendations and builds a comprehensive, bipartisan response. "Accidents of this magnitude deserve very careful and deliberate and thoughtful debate," he said, noting the committee waited for the NTSB’s final report before taking legislative action. "Passing the Alert Act is just one way this committee is seeking to improve aviation safety."

Ranking Member Rick Larson echoed that the measure responds to all 50 recommendations in the NTSB report and praised bipartisan cooperation between the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Armed Services Committee, which is handling military‑jurisdiction provisions. "These provisions direct the DOT and FAA to take action," Larson said, urging members’ support.

Key manager’s‑amendment changes included language to ensure airlines, pilots, air‑traffic controllers and manufacturers are consulted on equipment requirements, a provision to permanently close Helicopter Route 4 near Reagan National Airport, and direction for the DOT inspector general to evaluate the FAA’s safety management system.

A series of member amendments focused on Section 105, a provision that would restrict using ADS‑B transmissions to identify and invoice aircraft for landing or ramp fees (the transcript identifies this as the Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act or PAPA language). Representative Salud Carbajal moved to strike Section 105, arguing the privacy provision "does not belong here" and would limit airports’ ability to manage operations and fund safety infrastructure. "Federal law requires airports to be financially self‑sustaining," he said, adding his amendment would keep the bill focused on safety.

Opponents of striking Section 105, including a member who identified himself as a pilot and other committee supporters, said the provision is a narrow guardrail that protects ADS‑B as a safety tool rather than a revenue mechanism. One member warned that airports and third parties were increasingly using ADS‑B data to send invoices to pilots, which could discourage adoption of safety equipment. "When pilots realize they could be punished for turning on a safety tool, it damages trust and confidence in the system," a committee member said.

After extended debate, the committee held recorded votes on several amendments related to Section 105 and related clarifications. The clerk reported the following recorded results: amendment 61 (Carbajal) failed, 27 yays to 36 nays; amendment 35 (Friedman) failed, 27 yays to 36 nays; amendment 52 (Figures) failed, 25 yays to 38 nays. Earlier, the manager’s amendment had been agreed to by voice vote.

Following disposition of postponed recorded votes, the committee agreed by voice to the amendment in the nature of a substitute as amended. In a final recorded vote the committee approved HR 7613 as amended, 62 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered the bill favorably reported to the House of Representatives. The chair authorized staff to make technical, conforming changes and to offer necessary motions to go to conference with the Senate if required.

What the bill would do and next steps The Alert Act, as amended in committee, requires updates to collision‑prevention equipment and promotes broader ADS‑B interoperability (including ADS‑B in and compatible collision‑prevention technologies), mandates enhanced air‑traffic‑controller training before visual‑separation policy changes take effect, requires the DOT inspector general to evaluate certain FAA safety programs, and directs review and changes to helicopter routes identified as safety concerns.

The committee’s favorable report sends the bill to the House floor for consideration; staff were authorized to make technical edits to reflect the committee’s actions. The committee adjourned after completing business.

Quotes "Accidents of this magnitude deserve very careful and deliberate and thoughtful debate," Chairman Graves said, recalling the NTSB investigation and families’ advocacy. "Passing the Alert Act is just one way this committee is seeking to improve aviation safety."

Representative Rick Larson: "These provisions direct the DOT and FAA to take action."

Representative Salud Carbajal (on Section 105): "It would limit our airports' ability to manage their operations and maintain safe critical safety infrastructure."

Representative opposing Carbajal (on Section 105): "ADS‑B is a safety tool, and it should be used for safety, not as a revenue generator."

Sources and limitations This article is based solely on the committee transcript of the HR 7613 markup. It reports recorded vote tallies and the committee's procedural actions as stated in the transcript. Where members referenced the National Transportation Safety Board's final report or cited numbers (67 fatalities; 50 NTSB recommendations; 86 cosponsors), those references are reported as stated in the hearing record. No outside documents or sources were used to verify these details.