Sen. Moran Statement on House Passage of ALERT Act

Washington–U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation – released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act this week:

“The Senate unanimously passed the ROTOR Act in December to address the failures that led to the disastrous crash involving Flight 5342 and a military helicopter. While the ALERT Act includes many commonsense aviation reforms, it does not go far enough in mandating the use of ADS-B In on aircraft flying in mixed airspace as recommended more than a dozen times by the National Transportation Safety Board. Without stricter requirements for ADS-B In, our aviation system is still vulnerable to future collisions. There is broad bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate for rigorous ADS-B In requirements. Passing the ROTOR Act as a standalone bill or as part of the ALERT Act is the only way to ensure support in both the House and Senate and protect the safety of our skies.”

Items to note:

• Ahead of the House vote, the Families of Flight 5342 released a statement saying the ALERT Act in its current form is not strong enough to address the issues that led to the crash on January 29, 2025, and that ADS-B In should be included in the final aviation safety bill, along with other reforms.
  
• In March, Sen. Moran penned a letter to the editor in The Wall Street Journal, calling on the House to pass the ROTOR Act, which requires ADS-B In for aircraft in high-volume airspace.
  
• In December, the Senate unanimously passed the ROTOR Act, bipartisan aviation safety legislation introduced by Sens. Moran and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) following the aviation tragedy near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) on January 29.
  
  • The ROTOR Act includes elements of Sen. Moran’s legislation requiring broad adoption of ADS-B technology.