S. 2503 Senate Transportation and Public Works
ROTOR Act
STAGE 4 OF 8 — HOUSE FLOOR
Currently in the Senate. Last action: on motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill failed by the yeas and nays: (2/3 required): 264 - 133 (roll no. 72) on Feb 24, 2026.
- Senate Introduced in Senate Jul 29, 2025
- Senate Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Jul 29, 2025
- Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably. Oct 21, 2025
- Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report. Nov 18, 2025
- Senate Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 269. Nov 18, 2025
- Senate Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S8811-8817) Dec 17, 2025
- Senate The committee substitute withdrawn by Unanimous Consent. Dec 17, 2025
- Senate Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. Dec 17, 2025
- Senate Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S8813-8817) Dec 17, 2025
- Senate Message on Senate action sent to the House. Dec 18, 2025
- House Received in the House. Dec 18, 2025
- House Held at the desk. Dec 18, 2025
- House Mr. Graves moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill. Feb 23, 2026
- House Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2248-2257) Feb 23, 2026
- House DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 2503. Feb 23, 2026
- House At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed. Feb 23, 2026
- House Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2277) Feb 24, 2026
- Senate Failed of passage/not agreed to in House On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Failed by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 264 - 133 (Roll no. 72). Feb 24, 2026
- House On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Failed by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 264 - 133 (Roll no. 72). Feb 24, 2026
- House Latest voteOn Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass Feb 24, 2026
Cosponsors
21
Subjects
Administrative law and regulatory proceduresAdvisory bodiesAviation and airportsComputers and information technologyCongressional oversightDepartment of TransportationEmployment and training programsFederal officialsGovernment information and archivesGovernment studies and investigationsLabor-management relationsPublic-private cooperationTransportation safety and security
Committees
- Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- [Reported By, Nov 18, 2025]
- [Markup By, Oct 21, 2025]
- [Referred To, Jul 29, 2025]
Summary
Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform Act or the ROTOR ActThis bill addresses aviation safety by increasing requirements for aircraft tracking and communication using Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology and expanding oversight.As background, ADS-B for broadcasting (Out) and receiving (In) transmits information (e.g., location and weather information) between aircraft and air traffic control.Under the bill, aircraft must generally operate with ADS-B In equipment to provide the aircraft with location information of other aircraft and traffic advisories. Current law does not require this equipment.Current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations allow aircraft performing a sensitive government mission to be excepted from requirements for using ADS-B Out equipment. This bill limits which flights may be considered sensitive government missions (e.g., not training flights) and requires additional reporting and notifications for the exception.The Government Accountability Office must review the use of the ADS-B Out exception and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Transportation must annually audit FAA oversight of operations that use the exception.Further, the bill repeals a 2025 law that exempts certain military helicopters from the ADS-B Out requirements for the Washington, DC, metropolitan area.The bill also requiresthe OIG of the Army to audit the Army’s coordination with the FAA,the FAA to establish an office to coordinate airspace usage of military aircraft and review the safety of flight operations and routes around airports, andthe FAA to enter into memoranda of understanding with military agencies for safety information sharing.
[Summary as of: Passed Senate]
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