WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House of Representatives today overwhelmingly approved the Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act of 2026 (H.R. 7613), the bipartisan comprehensive legislative response to the tragic 2025 midair collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and a UH-60 Army Black Hawk helicopter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).

 

The ALERT Act was introduced on February 20, 2026, following the conclusion of the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) full investigation of the accident.  The legislation is a comprehensive package of improvements that respond to the broad scope of safety issues raised by the NTSB’s investigation and addresses all 50 of the NTSB’s final recommendations.

 

The ALERT Act was introduced in the House by Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO), Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA), Armed Services Committee (HASC) Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL), and Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA). The bill was approved today by a vote of 396 to 10.

 

“The tragic crash that occurred over the Potomac River and most other aviation incidents are rarely the result of a single issue or failure. They are the result of multiple contributing and complex factors, which is why it was essential that we understood all the facts before legislating,” said T&I Chairman Graves. “The ALERT Act is the bipartisan and comprehensive response to the full scope of this accident. This aviation safety reform bill addresses the probable cause, the contributing factors, and all 50 of the NTSB’s safety recommendations. I want to thank Chairman Rogers, Ranking Members Larsen and Smith, the NTSB, and everyone throughout the aviation community for their collaboration on this important legislation. I look forward to working with the Senate to complete a final bill that we can send to the President, improve the safety of our aviation system, and ensure that such an accident does not happen again.”

 

“My deepest condolences remain with the families of the 67 lives lost in the DCA mid-air tragedy,” said T&I Ranking Member Larsen. “The bipartisan ALERT Act is the result of productive, good-faith collaboration and incorporates feedback from the NTSB and the aviation community to make it a truly comprehensive safety bill. Today’s passage of the ALERT Act is the next step in delivering on Congress’ safety commitment to the flying public and acting on the NTSB’s 50 safety recommendations. I look forward to working with my Senate counterparts to get a final bill to the President’s desk.”

 

“With the passage of the ALERT Act, Congress is making meaningful policy to improve air safety and prevent tragic accidents like the one that occurred last year between an Army helicopter and a passenger jet. The ALERT Act is built on the NTSB’s year-long investigation and analysis of the crash, and it implements each of their recommendations. In many cases, this bill exceeds NTSB’s recommendations,” said HASC Chairman Rogers. “Our commercial and passenger flights share the same skies as our military aircraft, and we have a responsibility to ensure they all operate safely and securely. By working closely with NTSB and the Pentagon, we ultimately produced legislation that improves aviation safety without undermining our national security. I appreciate Chairman Graves and Ranking Members Larsen and Smith for their hard work on this bill, and I thank the PAT25 and Flight 5342 families for their tireless efforts to ensure a tragedy like this never occurs again

 

“The devastating loss of 67 lives over the Potomac last year highlighted longstanding systemic failures in how civilian and military aircraft operate in shared airspace and was 100 percent preventable. We've continued to see similar incidents since that tragic day, further demonstrating the need for congressional action to improve coordination between the FAA and the Department of Defense. The ALERT Act, anchored by the NTSB's full accounting of crucial safety recommendations, is an important step in ensuring improved coordination and that needed action is taken,” said HASC Ranking Member Smith. “I am thankful for the hard work and tireless dedication of the victims’ loved ones, who channeled their grief into action to ensure this never happens again. And I am proud of the work of our committees to honor those lost lives and help ensure safer skies.”

 

The ALERT Act:

  • Takes important steps to improve safety throughout the nation’s airspace for every user of the airspace and the flying public;
  • Ensures the utilization of technology to enhance flight crew alerting and controller situational awareness; 
  • Requires ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast) In and a corresponding collision prevention technology to be equipped and operating on virtually all aircraft that are required to have ADS-B Out, by December 31, 2031;
  • Establishes a public dashboard to ensure transparency and accountability throughout the rulemaking processes; 
  • Makes updates to helicopter route safety and separation requirements;
  • Requires necessary updates to air traffic control training, processes, and procedures to promote safety;
  • Seeks to objectively define a close proximity encounter and requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to establish a database to effectively monitor such encounters and other data for trends;
  • Investigates shortcomings in both safety culture and data sharing that contributed to the collision;
  • Tackles mismanagement within the FAA that contributed to the fatal collision;
  • Strengthens safety standards for military aircraft and cooperation between the military and the FAA;
  • Enhances requirements and guidance for collision avoidance technology for military aircraft;
  • Strengthens oversight of flight operations in congested airspace; and
  • Requires greater flight data sharing between the Secretary of Defense and the FAA.

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