House Passes ALERT Act to Mandate Collision Avoidance Tech After DC Crash

Small aviation operators — including helicopter tour companies, charter services, and general aviation businesses — would eventually need to equip their aircraft with new collision mitigation technology. The final rule must set an effective date no later than December 31, 2031. Retrofitting aircraft with ADS-B In receivers and collision avoidance systems is a significant expense for small operators, though the bill allows portable alternative equipment as a less costly compliance option.

Active-duty military helicopter pilots would face new requirements to use ADS-B Out tracking technology when flying training missions in the Washington, D.C. area and other busy civilian airspace. Each military department must also build a new rotary wing safety management system by March 2027 and provide recurring training on congested airspace. While this adds compliance burdens, it also gives military crews better situational awareness and reduces their risk of midair collisions with civilian aircraft.

Air traffic controllers — federal employees at the FAA — are directly targeted by many provisions. They would get updated training on threat and error management, new safety risk assessment tools, and improved conflict alert systems. However, controllers also face tighter documentation requirements for combined positions, revised post-accident drug and alcohol testing procedures, and a full safety culture audit by the DOT Inspector General. The bill acknowledges controllers' collective bargaining rights throughout but adds substantial new oversight and procedural requirements to their daily work.

The bill repeatedly protects collective bargaining rights of air traffic controllers and airline pilots, requiring their union representatives to be included in virtually every working group, task force, and rulemaking committee created by the legislation. Controllers' exclusive bargaining representatives are specifically named as stakeholders in over a dozen sections, ensuring labor has a strong voice in shaping new safety rules and procedures.

Veterans who fly as civilian helicopter pilots or work in general aviation benefit from the improved safety environment created by better collision avoidance systems, clearer helicopter route charts, and mandatory vertical separation near airports. Many civilian helicopter pilots are military veterans, and these safety improvements reduce their risk of midair collisions in congested airspace.