ALERT Act

# Summary of Changes: ALERT Act (Reported vs. Engrossed in House) The engrossed version significantly expands the House-reported version by adding extensive civil aviation provisions and removing the previous Department of Defense chapters. Key substantive additions include: **New Civil Aviation Requirements**: Sections 101-116 establish comprehensive collision avoidance mandates, including mandatory ACAS Xa upgrades for commercial aircraft by December 31, 2031, and ACAS Xr systems for rotorcraft. The law also requires collision prevention technology on broader aircraft categories and creates new federal rulemaking timelines and accountability mechanisms. **Air Traffic Control Reforms**: New provisions establish time-on-position limits for supervisory personnel, develop threat and error management training for controllers, create a safety risk assessment tool, and assess operational rates at Reagan National Airport. Section 112 mandates implementation of time-based flow management systems. **Communication and Safety Improvements**: The bill adds requirements for controller visual separation training, evaluation of anti-blocking technology for radio transmissions, and improvements to conflict alert systems—directly addressing communication breakdowns identified in the January 2025 collision. **Data Protection and Transparency**: Section 105 prohibits using ADS-B data to obtain revenue without consent and adds a public dashboard (Section 106) tracking rulemaking progress with congressional briefing requirements. The previous Department of Defense chapter (establishing memorandums of agreement and helicopter safety management systems) is entirely removed, shifting focus from military-specific regulations to broader civilian aviation safety infrastructure.