ROTOR Act

What this measure contains

Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform Act or the ROTOR Act This 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 requires the 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, and the FAA to enter into memoranda of understanding with military agencies for safety information sharing.

The latest Congressional Research Service summary in the bill's GovInfo status record, or its official title when no summary has been published. Amendments can change the wording; read a specific version for its complete provisions.

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Bill text and versions

Drafts can change as a measure moves through Congress. Check the version attached to a recorded vote.

• Engrossed in Senate · Official document ↗· Dec 17, 2025
• Reported to Senate · Official document ↗· Nov 18, 2025
• Introduced in Senate · Official document ↗· Jul 29, 2025

Legislative path

Each stage below is a House or Senate floor decision: every recorded roll call on this measure, plus passage by voice vote or unanimous consent, which records no individual votes. Each stage shows the latest version published before that day; the chamber may have voted on an amended text. Roll calls name every member. A member's row follows their votes, and a highlighted vote marks where they voted for advancing the measure at one stage and against it at another (passage, cloture, motions to proceed, agreeing to the other chamber's version). Amendments and motions such as recommit or table don't count as a change, because an aye there isn't a vote for the measure.

1. Introduced in Senate
2. Reported to Senate
3. Engrossed in Senateby Senate passage (unanimous consent)

Companion measure: H.R. 6222. A companion follows its own path; its votes are not combined with this one.

Decision stages

1. Dec 17, 2025 · Senate

   Senate passage (unanimous consent) on Reported to Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S8813-8817), reported as Engrossed in Senate

   No recorded vote

2. Feb 24, 2026 · House

   House suspend rules and pass on Engrossed in Senate: Failed

   264 aye · 133 no · 35 not voting · Source roll call

House members along the path

Aye yea or aye · No nay or no · Present · NV not voting · Changed reversed on advancing the measure

Members are identified by the Bioguide ID in each roll call, not by name. Not voting is not a no vote; a blank cell means the member wasn't listed for that roll call.Congress.gov actions ↗

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Legislative history

1. Jul 29, 2025

   Introduced in Senate

2. Jul 29, 2025

   Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

3. Oct 21, 2025

   Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

4. Nov 18, 2025

   Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.

5. Nov 18, 2025

   Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 269.

6. Dec 17, 2025

   Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S8811-8817)

7. Dec 17, 2025

   The committee substitute withdrawn by Unanimous Consent.

8. Dec 17, 2025

   Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.

9. Dec 17, 2025

   Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S8813-8817)

10. Dec 18, 2025

    Message on Senate action sent to the House.

11. Dec 18, 2025

    Received in the House.

12. Dec 18, 2025

    Held at the desk.

13. Feb 23, 2026

    Mr. Graves moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

14. Feb 23, 2026

    Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2248-2257)

15. Feb 23, 2026

    DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 2503.

16. Feb 23, 2026

    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.

17. Feb 24, 2026

    Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2277)

18. Feb 24, 2026

    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).

19. Feb 24, 2026

    On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Failed by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 264 - 133 (Roll no. 72).

Bill sponsors