ROTOR Act Falls Short in House as ALERT Act Advances to Markup

The Senate-passed Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform Act (ROTOR) was defeated in the House on Feb. 24, 2026, by a 264-133 vote, falling one vote short of the two-thirds majority required under expedited procedures. The Department of Defense withdrew its support over concerns about limits on ADS-B exemptions for national security operations.

House Transportation Committee Chair Rep. Sam Graves said the committee would move to mark up the alternative ALERT Act "as soon as next week," emphasizing that the bill incorporates NTSB recommendations. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who voted against ROTOR, pledged bipartisan effort to pass a final safety bill in partnership with the Senate. Senator Ted Cruz, the bill's lead sponsor, vowed to revive ROTOR, citing the families of the January 2025 Reagan National Airport collision victims.

The catalyst for ROTOR was the January 2025 collision at Reagan National Airport between an Endeavor Air CRJ-900 (Flight 5342) and an Army Black Hawk that lacked ADS-B monitoring. The incident exposed a critical visibility gap and prompted FAA emergency rules to expand ADS-B coverage. While the ALERT Act requires upgrades to collision-avoidance systems such as ACAS-X, critics argue it falls short of the broader transparency and oversight goals of ROTOR.