Military ADS–B Out Loophole Act

Key Points

• This bill, introduced by Rep. Barrett, would require government and military aircraft to keep their location trackers turned on more often. Currently, these planes can turn off their signals during "sensitive missions," but this bill would limit that exception to only the most critical parts of a flight.
• The goal is to improve air safety by making sure other pilots and air traffic controllers know where government planes are located. By narrowing the definition of a "sensitive mission," the bill aims to prevent planes from flying "dark" when it isn't strictly necessary for national security.
• Government agencies at all levels—federal, state, and local—would have to report to the FAA every time they turn off their tracking equipment. These reports must include the date, time, and location of the flight, as well as an explanation of why the tracker was turned off.
• The FAA would be required to update its rules within one year and provide regular reports to Congress about how often these exceptions are being used. If an agency turns off its tracker five or more times in a single month, the FAA must notify Congress within 14 days.
• To ensure the new rules are followed, the government's watchdog agency and the Department of Transportation's Inspector General would conduct audits. They will check if the military and other agencies are following the law and if the FAA is doing a good job of overseeing them.

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