To direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to revise regulations relating to ADS-B Out transmission exceptions, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Tom Barrett (Republican-MI)January 27, 2026

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Introduced

In Committee

Passed One Chamber

Passed Both Chambers

Signed into Law

Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Requires government aircraft to share location data more often for safety.

Current rules allow government planes to turn off location signals (ADS-B Out) for "sensitive missions." This bill would tighten those rules, limiting when government agencies, including the military, can operate without broadcasting their aircraft's location. It would require them to share location data more often, aiming to improve air safety and transparency.

What Would Change

Today, government aircraft can turn off their ADS-B Out location signals for "sensitive government missions," a term that is broadly interpreted. After this bill, the FAA would define "sensitive government mission" much more narrowly, limiting exceptions to only the specific part of a flight when sensitive activities occur. Agencies would also have to report quarterly on every instance they turn off these signals, and the FAA would report to Congress twice a year on this usage.

Key Provisions

Requires the FAA to define "sensitive government mission" more strictly, limiting when government aircraft can turn off their location signals.
Requires the FAA to update its rules and agreements within one year to reflect these stricter definitions.
Requires federal, state, local, and Tribal agencies to send quarterly reports to the FAA, detailing every time they turn off their aircraft's location signals for sensitive missions.
Requires the FAA to report to Congress twice a year on how often these exceptions are used and if they affect air safety.
Requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review how agencies use these exceptions within two years and report its findings to Congress.

View on Congress.gov

HR 7240 · 119th Congress · January 27, 2026 · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 9/10

To direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to revise regulations relating to ADS-B Out transmission exceptions, and for other purposes.

What Would Change

Key Provisions

Lobbying Activity