House Passes ALERT Act 396-10 to Boost Aviation Safety After DCA Crash

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act of 2026 (H.R. 7613) on April 14 by a vote of 396-10. Introduced by Reps. Sam Graves (R-MO) and Rick Larsen (D-WA), the bipartisan legislation aims to enhance flight crew alerting and air traffic controller situational awareness following the January 2025 midair collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Key provisions include mandating Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast In (ADS-B In) and collision prevention technology on most aircraft by Dec. 31, 2031. The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed the bill addresses its recommendations through required FAA actions. While an amendment to remove Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act provisions was defeated along party lines, aviation groups like the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association argued such privacy protections are crucial for encouraging pilot technology adoption.

The legislation now advances to a House-Senate conference committee to reconcile differences with the Senate's ROTOR Act. Industry groups including the American Association of Airport Executives supported the safety goals but expressed concerns about proposed fee structures for ADS-B data usage. The Association of Flight Attendants urged lawmakers to merge the bills to prevent repeat incidents involving regional aircraft and helicopters.