The ROTOR Act – How Will it Affect Current Aircraft Owners?

On Tuesday, July 29, 2025, Senator Ted Cruz and the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation introduced the Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act in response to the tragic mid-air collision over the Potomac River in January.

The primary purpose of the bill is to enhance aviation safety by establishing new requirements regarding Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) within the national airspace system. However, it will also direct the Army and the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct studies related to certain helicopter operations.

The ROTOR Act has drawn significant support within Congress, as well as from DOT and NTSB officials. 

ADS-B Changes

The proposed ROTOR Act would require that all newly manufactured aircraft be equipped with both ADS-B In and ADS-B Out technology. Current aircraft owners need not panic; this bill will not require you to install expensive equipment in your aircraft.

Additionally, the bill would restrict military training flights from being conducted inside Class B or Class C airspace, unless directly related to a national security event. 

The ROTOR Act also states that, “to the extent practicable, all aircraft operating for purposes of national defense, homeland security intelligence, or law enforcement” should utilize Traffic Information Services Broadcast (TIS-B) at a minimum in another effort to increase safety in the National Airspace System.

Bottom Line

The bottom line is that the ROTOR Act is purely an effort to increase safety and situational awareness in the National Airspace System. While there have been some headlines suggesting that this bill will require “all aircraft” to be outfitted with ADS-B In/Out, that is somewhat misleading – it is limited to newly manufactured aircraft.

If you want to dive deeper into this bill, you can read it in full here, or the Commerce Committee’s One-Page Summary here.