{"format":1,"id":"119-s-2503","congress":119,"number":"S. 2503","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"ROTOR Act","title_source":"Short Title(s) as Passed Senate","official_title":"A bill to require all aircraft to be equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast In, to improve aviation safety, and for other purposes.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"A bill to require all aircraft to be equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast In, to improve aviation safety, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Display Title","title":"ROTOR Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed Senate","title":"ROTOR Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed Senate","title":"Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Reported to Senate","title":"ROTOR Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Reported to Senate","title":"Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"ROTOR Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform Act"}],"outcome":"failed_house","law_number":null,"introduced":"2025-07-29","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2026-02-24","vote":{"id":"119-2026-h72","question":"On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass","title":"ROTOR Act","result":"Failed","yea":264,"nay":133,"present":0,"not_voting":35,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2026/roll072.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"voice","date":"2025-12-17","vote":null,"how":"unanimous_consent","words":"Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent."}},"president":{"status":"na","date":null},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Failed by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 264 - 133 (Roll no. 72).","date":"2026-02-24"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[],"other_votes":[],"crs_summary":{"date":"2025-12-17","stage":"Passed Senate","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform Act or the ROTOR Act"},{"k":"p","t":"This bill addresses aviation safety by increasing requirements for aircraft tracking and communication using Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology and expanding oversight."},{"k":"p","t":"As background, ADS-B for broadcasting (Out) and receiving (In) transmits information (e.g., location and weather information) between aircraft and air traffic control."},{"k":"p","t":"Under the bill, aircraft must generally operate with ADS-B In equipment to provide the aircraft with location information of other aircraft and traffic advisories. Current law does not require this equipment."},{"k":"p","t":"Current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations allow aircraft performing a sensitive government mission to be excepted from requirements for using ADS-B Out equipment. This bill limits which flights may be considered sensitive government missions (e.g., not training flights) and requires additional reporting and notifications for the exception."},{"k":"p","t":"The Government Accountability Office must review the use of the ADS-B Out exception and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Transportation must annually audit FAA oversight of operations that use the exception."},{"k":"p","t":"Further, the bill repeals a 2025 law that exempts certain military helicopters from the ADS-B Out requirements for the Washington, DC, metropolitan area."},{"k":"p","t":"The bill also requires"},{"k":"li","t":"the OIG of the Army to audit the Army’s coordination with the FAA,","d":1},{"k":"li","t":"the FAA to establish an office to coordinate airspace usage of military aircraft and review the safety of flight operations and routes around airports, and","d":1},{"k":"li","t":"the FAA to enter into memoranda of understanding with military agencies for safety information sharing.","d":1}],"words":250},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Requires aircraft that must have ADS-B Out to also be equipped with ADS-B In, changes the exception from ADS-B Out transmission for sensitive government missions, and directs reviews of military and civil flight operations near airports.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2503/text/es#id86c91798-70d8-4e75-9d63-32538b85531c:~:text=3.%20Revision%20to%20Exception%20for%20ADS"},{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2503/text/es#id061844d28d654258a632af5d228c4bb0"},{"label":"Sec. 7","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2503/text/es#id45c2165bad944d0689cc4f5852dc1e4e:~:text=7.%20Safety%20reviews%20of%20airspace"}]},"core_areas":["ADS-B In equipment requirement for aircraft","Exception to ADS-B Out transmission for sensitive government missions","FAA safety reviews of flight operations near airports","Army Inspector General audit of ADS-B Out use and FAA coordination","FAA and Department of Defense coordination and safety information sharing"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Requires the FAA Administrator to issue a final rule within 2 years of enactment requiring aircraft that must have ADS-B Out, other than unmanned aircraft, to be equipped with and operate ADS-B In, with equipage required by December 31, 2031.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2503/text/es#id061844d28d654258a632af5d228c4bb0"}},{"text":"Provides that the term sensitive government mission in 14 CFR 91.225(f)(1) does not include routine flights, non-classified flights, proficiency flights, or flights of Federal officials below the rank of Cabinet Member or the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2503/text/es#id86c91798-70d8-4e75-9d63-32538b85531c:~:text=3.%20Revision%20to%20Exception%20for%20ADS"}},{"text":"Requires an operating agency to notify Air Traffic Control when a sensitive government mission will not transmit ADS-B Out, and to notify named congressional committees monthly of each such mission within Class B airspace.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2503/text/es#id86c91798-70d8-4e75-9d63-32538b85531c:~:text=3.%20Revision%20to%20Exception%20for%20ADS"}},{"text":"Repeals section 373(a) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 and provides that chapter 157 of title 10, United States Code, is applied as if that section's amendments had not been enacted.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2503/text/es#id265321f7362545c6ae439320753b8da1:~:text=5.%20Repeal%20of%20manned%20rotary%20wing%20aircraft"}},{"text":"Requires the Administrator to establish or designate an Office of FAA-DOD Coordination within 30 days of enactment and to initiate a safety review of flight operations in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area Special Flight Rules Area.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 7","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2503/text/es#id45c2165bad944d0689cc4f5852dc1e4e:~:text=7.%20Safety%20reviews%20of%20airspace"}},{"text":"Requires the Inspector General of the Army to initiate an audit, within 60 days of enactment, of the Army's coordination with the FAA, pilot training and qualification standards, and the Army's use of ADS-B Out.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 6","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2503/text/es#idc8f510f9-a594-4bc2-a703-045a934e657a:~:text=6.%20Inspector%20General%20of%20the%20Army%20audit"}}],"unexpected":[{"category":"off_subject","items":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2503/text/es#id265321f7362545c6ae439320753b8da1:~:text=5.%20Repeal%20of%20manned%20rotary%20wing%20aircraft"},"heading":"Repeal of manned rotary wing aircraft safety provisions","effect":"Repeals section 373(a) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 and directs that chapter 157 of title 10, United States Code, be applied as if that section's amendments had not been enacted.","amount":null,"quote":"Section 373(a) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 is repealed, and Chapter 157 of title 10, United States Code, shall be applied as if the amendments made by such section had not been enacted."}]}],"version":{"type":"Engrossed in Senate","date":"2025-12-17","rule":"passed","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2503/text/es"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-10-03","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2503","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2503/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/119-s-2503.png","v":"cf8bd1ba2398","alt":"Votes on Record. S. 2503, 119th Congress: ROTOR Act. House: 264 Yea, 133 Nay. Senate: unanimous consent. Outcome: Failed House, 24 Feb 2026."}}