VIDEO: Sen. Moran Applauds Committee Passage of ROTOR Act, Aviation Safety Legislation

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) - chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space and Innovation - today applauded the Commerce Committee's passage of the bipartisan Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act, which included elements of Sen. Moran's legislation requiring broad adoption of ADS-B technology. The ROTOR Act aims to improve aviation safety in response to the tragic midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that claimed 67 lives on January 29th near Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA).

Following passage of the ROTOR Act by the Senate Commerce Committee, Sen. Moran recognized family members of the DCA crash victims in the audience and gave remarks on the importance of the aviation safety legislation in preventing aviation tragedies. The bill will now move to the full Senate for consideration.

"It brings back memories of January 29th," said Sen. Moran. "I know that we continue to mourn the loss of family members and victims of a tragedy that occurred that day. American Airlines Flight 5342 originated from Wichita, Kansas, carrying Kansans and others, and it's certainly changed the way we now think about air traffic safety. Today, we seek to address many safety concerns and make our skies safer both for civilian travelers and our military men and women."

"Central to the conversation surrounding that day in January is the use of and the failure to use ADS-B technology," continued Sen. Moran. "While elements of ADS-B Out technology are mandated by the FAA, others are not. This bill encourages greater adoption of integration of ADS-B In technologies which share an aircraft's GPS position, altitude, identity, ground speed with air traffic control and other aircraft equipment with ADS-B In. Broader use of this technology improves safety and could have saved lives on the evening of January the 29th."

"It should not take a tragedy to get us to this point, and I'm grateful that this committee is taking steps to address recent accidents as well as taking a proactive approach to aviation safety," concluded Sen. Moran.

Click HERE to Watch Sen. Moran's Full Remarks

Sen. Moran priorities included in the ROTOR Act:

• Closes a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) loophole that allowed most military aircraft to operate without Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) Out transmitting. This technology broadcasts an aircraft's precise location with greater precision than traditional radar.
• Requires all aircraft to be equipped with ADS-B In, allowing pilots to better visualize and prevent incidents with other aircraft and vehicles on the ground.
• • Directs the FAA to update both standards on safe distances between aircraft and controller training once ADS-B In is widely adopted.
• Strengthens oversight of mixed air traffic and flight routes near commercial service airports and requires quarterly reports on ADS-B Out compliance, annual Department of Transportation Inspector General audits and a safety review of potential improvements to airspace safety around DCA.
• Tasks the FAA with providing an Airborne Collision Avoidance System-X (ACAS-X) Action Plan to inform widespread adoption of advanced collision avoidance technologies and establishes an FAA Office of FAA-DOD Coordination to streamline communication between the FAA and military departments.
• Directs the Army Office of Inspector General to initiate an audit of the Army's coordination with the FAA, pilot training and qualification standards and the Army's use of ADS-B Out, as well as whether it adheres to Army policy, regulation and law. In June, Sen. Moran joined his colleagues in requesting such an audit.

Additional items to note:

• July 29: Sen. Moran joined Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in introducing the original text of the ROTOR Act, six months after the aviation tragedy near DCA that claimed 67 lives on January 29th.
• June 10: Sen. Moran joined his colleagues in calling for audits into the Department of Transportation and the Army's responses to the DCA midair collision.
• May 16: Sen. Moran introduced legislation to require all aircraft operating in Class B airspace to install and use ADS-B In and Out, and repealed the FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) provision permitting exemptions to the military's use of ADS-B requirements. Elements of Sen. Moran's legislation were included in the ROTOR Act.

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