ALERT Act

HR 7613, the Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency Act of 2026 (ALERT Act), requires expanded use of aircraft tracking technology called Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) to improve aviation safety. The bill mandates that the Department of Defense and Department of Transportation establish an agreement requiring ADS-B Out transmission on DOD helicopters in national airspace unless operational security is at risk, with safety assessments required for exempt special mission helicopters in the Washington, DC area. It also requires the FAA to establish new oversight measures, including time-on-position limits for air traffic control supervisors, processes to notify parties of near-miss incidents, and a review of helicopter routes around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

By December 31, 2031, DOD aircraft must be equipped with and operating ADS-B In receiving technology (with exceptions for certain special mission aircraft), and the FAA must generally require civil aircraft already equipped with ADS-B Out to also have ADS-B In capability. These requirements expand the real-time information available to pilots and air traffic controllers about aircraft locations and conditions, enabling better collision prevention and safety coordination between military and civilian aviation operations.