All Roll Calls
Yes: 264 • No: 133
S2503119th CongressWALLET
ROTOR Act
Sponsored By: Senator Ted Cruz
Failed
Summary
This bill would tighten rules for when aircraft can stop broadcasting their location and would *require ADS‑B In* for most aircraft already broadcasting ADS‑B Out to boost pilot awareness and oversight.
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- Small aircraft owners and general aviation would get low‑cost and portable equipage options, a chance to apply for limited retrofit extensions, and an official deadline of December 31, 2031 for compliance with the ADS‑B In rule.
- Military and government operators would face narrower “sensitive mission” exemptions for turning off ADS‑B Out, new notification and attestation duties, monthly congressional notice for certain Class B operations, and a required flight log with a classified annex when needed.
- The FAA, airlines, and safety programs would see a negotiated rulemaking process, new separation standards that use ADS‑B In/Out, an ACAS‑X deployment plan, FAA–DoD coordination on airport safety reviews, a GAO review within 2 years, and Inspector General audits starting 3 years after enactment.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
FAA–DoD office, MOUs, and reviews
Had it passed, the bill would have required the FAA to create an Office of FAA‑DoD Coordination within 30 days to manage military civil airspace issues and to consider consolidating safety databases. The FAA would have been required to sign MOUs to share safety data with the Army within 60 days and with the Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard within 90 days, and to notify Congress within 7 days of each MOU. The bill also would have required prioritized safety reviews at Reagan National and other busy airports on set timelines, and the Army Inspector General would have started an audit within 60 days with public reporting and regular congressional briefings.
Tighter rules on skipping ADS‑B Out
Had it passed, the bill would have narrowed the "sensitive government mission" exception that lets agencies turn off ADS‑B Out. It would have excluded routine, unclassified, and proficiency flights and flights by most federal officials below Cabinet level or below the Chair of the Joint Chiefs. Agencies would have been required to tell Air Traffic Control when they were not transmitting ADS‑B Out and to report each Class B sensitive mission to Congress monthly. The FAA would have had one year to revise its rules and conform related agreements.
New ADS‑B In rule and timeline
Had it passed, the bill would have required the FAA to issue a final rule within two years to make aircraft that must have ADS‑B Out also be equipped with and operating ADS‑B In by December 31, 2031. The rule would have taken effect no later than 60 days after publication and the FAA could form a negotiated rulemaking committee within 60 days to help set standards. If you operated an affected aircraft, you would have faced equipment and installation costs, but the law also would have required FAA guidance, tools, and identification of compliant equipment. Lighter aircraft (under 12,500 pounds) and qualifying military aircraft could have used approved alternate or portable solutions, and operators in service could apply for up to a one‑year extension past the deadline if they showed progress.
Repeal of specific NDAA amendment
Had it passed, the bill would have repealed section 373(a) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 and treated Chapter 157 of title 10, U.S.C., as if those amendments had never been enacted. This would have undone that specific statutory change upon enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Ted Cruz
TX • R
Cosponsors
Jerry Moran
KS • R
Sponsored 7/29/2025
Marsha Blackburn
TN • R
Sponsored 7/29/2025
Ted Budd
NC • R
Sponsored 7/29/2025
Shelley Capito
WV • R
Sponsored 7/29/2025
Roger Marshall
KS • R
Sponsored 7/29/2025
Eric Schmitt
MO • R
Sponsored 7/29/2025
Tim Sheehy
MT • R
Sponsored 7/29/2025
Todd Young
IN • R
Sponsored 7/29/2025
Maria Cantwell
WA • D
Sponsored 11/18/2025
Tammy Duckworth
IL • D
Sponsored 11/18/2025
Timothy Kaine
VA • D
Sponsored 11/18/2025
Mark Warner
VA • D
Sponsored 11/18/2025
Edward Markey
MA • D
Sponsored 11/18/2025
Raphael Warnock
GA • D
Sponsored 11/20/2025
Richard Blumenthal
CT • D
Sponsored 11/20/2025
Amy Klobuchar
MN • D
Sponsored 12/1/2025
John Curtis
UT • R
Sponsored 2/23/2026
Chris Van Hollen
MD • D
Sponsored 2/23/2026
Peter Welch
VT • D
Sponsored 2/23/2026
Lisa Blunt Rochester
DE • D
Sponsored 2/23/2026
Cynthia Lummis
WY • R
Sponsored 2/24/2026
Roll Call Votes
house vote • 2/24/2026
On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass
Yes: 264 • No: 133
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