The United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, chaired by Ted Cruz, has drafted the Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act, requiring all aircraft and helicopters to be equipped with ADS-B In technology.

The legislation also aims to close a loophole that permits the US Department of Defence to fly aircraft domestically without having to use ADS-B Out technology, "enhancing oversight" of helicopter routes near commercial service airports. Requiring quarterly reports on ADS-B Out compliance, it directs the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to review helicopter routes by evaluating the airspace at congested airports nationwide.

The bill aims to improve safety after January’s mid-air collision between a CRJ700 operated by PSA Airlines (on behalf of American Airlines) and a United States Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter near Washington National, killing 67 people on board both aircraft.

The committee chairman said that the ROTOR Act “was drafted in direct response to the operational shortcomings that led to the mid-air collision,” adding that deconflicting congested airspace and establishing better communication standards between civilian and military aircraft is essential.

The bill still has to go through the regular legislative process in Congress before becoming law.