On February 20th, 2026, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO), Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA), Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL), and Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) introduced the Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act of 2026.
The ALERT Act was introduced in response to the various aviation safety issues raised by the tragic 2025 midair collision between a UH-60 Army Black Hawk helicopter and American Airlines Flight 5342 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). The legislation addresses all 50 safety related recommendations issued by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which concluded its thorough investigation and issued its final report on February 17, 2026.
The ALERT Act considers all of the NTSB’s findings of probable cause that contributed to the accident and responds to each of the NTSB’s 50 safety recommendations to provide a thorough and holistic legislative approach to improve U.S. aviation safety.
On March 26, 2026, the Committee unveiled a revised version of the ALERT Act, which will be marked up on March 26, 2026.
Read the revised ALERT Act here and the section-by-section here.
Numerous aviation stakeholders have expressed support for the ALERT Act.
Additional Resources:
March 26, 2026: Full Committee Markup
March 25, 2026: Aviation Community Organizations Express Continued Support for the ALERT Act
March 24, 2026: T&I Committee to Mark Up Updated Bipartisan ALERT Act to Improve Aviation Safety
March 3, 2026: Graves Affirms Commitment to Moving ALERT Act Amid Continued Work with Safety Advocates
February 24, 2026: Graves and Larsen Statement on Next Steps for the ALERT Act
February 24, 2026: Graves Statement on ROTOR Act Vote and Commitment to Mark Up the Comprehensive ALERT Act
February 23, 2026: Chairman Graves’ Statement in the House During Consideration of ROTOR Act Endorsing the ALERT Act
January 29, 2026: Statement from T&I Leaders and Kansas Members on the Anniversary of DCA Midair Collision
January 27, 2026: Committee Leaders’ Joint Statement Following NTSB Board Meeting on DCA Midair Collision
March 11, 2025: Committee Leaders’ Joint Statement on NTSB’s Preliminary Report on Crash at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
February 26, 2025: Committee Leaders’ Joint Statement Following NTSB Briefing on Investigation of Crash at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
