House committee passes amended ALERT Act, includes PAPA
Bill would stop the misuse of ADS-B
The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure passed an amended version of the Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act to address safety issues resulting from the January 2025 midair collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C.
The bill, which passed unanimously, 62-0, incorporates key provisions of the Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act (PAPA) that would prohibit the use of ADS-B data to collect fees from pilots. PAPA has been a top priority for AOPA and has received widespread support among safety advocates and others.
The bill would also extend to all government entities a prohibition on initiating investigations on pilots when relying solely on ADS-B data. Current law prohibiting this practice applies only to the FAA.
"We appreciate the bipartisan work of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and their willingness to listen to the concerns of hundreds of thousands of AOPA members from across the country—ADS-B is a safety tool," said AOPA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Advocacy Jim Coon.
"Actions like today are why it is important for every general aviation pilot to be an AOPA member and to be engaged in the process. This fight is not over and AOPA members will need to continue to engage with their congressional representatives," added Coon.
AOPA will continue to strongly advocate for safety and pilot privacy as the ALERT Act works its way through the legislative process. The ALERT Act now heads to the full House for consideration.
