The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unanimously approved its portion of the Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act of 2026 on Mar. 26, advancing a bipartisan legislative response to the aviation safety concerns raised by the fatal 2025 midair collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The ALERT Act was introduced in the House by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves, Ranking Member Rick Larsen, Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, and Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith. The Armed Services Committee also unanimously approved its section of the legislation concerning Department of War policies.
The committee passed the bill with a vote of 62 to 0. The legislation is an updated version first introduced in February following the conclusion of the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) investigation into the accident involving American Airlines Flight 5342 and a UH-60 Army Black Hawk helicopter. It incorporates updates based on discussions with NTSB officials and other aviation stakeholders since its introduction.
“The ALERT Act is a comprehensive package that addresses the probable cause and contributing factors of the tragic crash that occurred in our nation’s capital in 2025, and it addresses all 50 safety recommendations issued by the NTSB after their investigation,” said Chairman Graves. “I want to thank Ranking Member Larsen and all the Committee Members for their work on this bill. I also want to thank the aviation and safety stakeholders we worked with as we developed and continued to modify and update the bill after the bill’s introduction. Furthermore, I appreciate the NTSB for working with us to ensure the legislation adequately addresses all of their recommendations that resulted from their thorough investigation of the accident. I look forward to passing the ALERT Act in the House, and then working with the Senate to complete a final bill that addresses various issues that contributed to this tragic accident.”
Ranking Member Larsen said: “Throughout this process, my deepest condolences have remained with families of victims of this tragic DCA mid-air collision. After working with NTSB, committee members produced a bipartisan and comprehensive bill that will increase safety for flying public. I hope to continue productive conversations with all key stakeholders as we advance a safety package to President.”
Key provisions include requiring enhanced flight crew alerting technologies; mandating ADS-B In technology alongside collision prevention systems for most aircraft by December 31, 2031; updating helicopter route requirements; improving air traffic control training; establishing new databases for close proximity encounters; creating public dashboards for transparency; investigating FAA data sharing shortcomings; and addressing mismanagement within FAA identified as contributing factors in last year’s crash.
Broader implications from passage could include significant changes across national airspace operations aimed at preventing similar incidents through technology upgrades, revised procedures, increased oversight, greater transparency measures—and potentially influencing future federal aviation policy.
