The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act on April 14, a bipartisan aviation safety bill that includes several provisions led by Congressman Tom Barrett of Michigan’s 7th District. The legislation comes in response to the January 2025 mid-air collision between a Black Hawk military helicopter and a commercial aircraft over the Potomac River, which resulted in the deaths of 67 people.
The passage of the ALERT Act aims to address concerns about air safety following this tragedy. Lawmakers say it is intended to prevent similar incidents by improving collision avoidance systems and increasing transparency around aircraft locations.
“Nothing Congress can say or do will ever bring back the 67 innocent lives lost in the tragic collision over Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. What we can do is make sure something like this never happens again,” said Barrett. “The ALERT Act we passed tonight with provisions I led takes significant steps towards making flying safer for every American by closing the military ADS-B loophole, advancing next-generation collision avoidance systems, and requiring regular equipment testing. These are provisions I fought hard for as someone with experience flying the exact type of helicopter involved in the accident, and I am confident they will save lives.”
Barrett worked on these measures as a member of both the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and alongside colleagues from the House Committee on Armed Services. Chairman Mike Rogers of that committee said, “As a former Army helicopter pilot, Rep. Barrett’s insight and expertise were invaluable in assisting the Armed Services Committee in drafting the ALERT Act. I applaud his work on this critical legislation to make our skies safer.” Chairman Sam Graves from Transportation and Infrastructure also praised Barrett’s contributions: “Congressman Barrett’s decades of experience as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot allowed him to provide invaluable insight as we developed the ALERT Act, and I greatly appreciate his efforts in helping to craft and pass this comprehensive safety legislation today.”
Key elements from previous bills introduced by Barrett were included within this act: preventing military pilots from turning off ADS-B Out transmissions during non-sensitive flights; advancing next-generation anti-collision technology; and requiring regular testing of ADS-B Out systems on military aircraft every ninety days.
According to background information provided with this announcement, technologies such as Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) direct pilots away from potential collisions while Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) transmits an aircraft’s position data for tracking purposes.
Lawmakers say these new requirements are designed to enhance both civilian and military aviation safety moving forward.
