A US Senate panel is moving forward with legislation that would require all aircraft equipped with ADS-B Out to also carry ADS-B In by the end of 2031 — a new mandate that could force thousands of aircraft owners to revisit mandatory avionics upgrades they thought were complete.
The Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act, a bipartisan aviation safety bill, was introduced in response to the fatal January 29, 2025, collision between a US Army Black Hawk helicopter and a PSA Airlines CRJ700. The accident renewed scrutiny of gaps in FAA and Department of Defense air traffic coordination and the visibility of military aircraft operating near civilian traffic.
Under the measure, all aircraft already required to have ADS-B Out — which broadcasts position information to air-traffic controllers and other nearby aircraft — would also need to be fitted with ADS-B In, allowing pilots of more aircraft to receive real-time traffic and weather data in the cockpit. Operators could receive a one-year extension, to 2032, to complete retrofits, according to language in the bill.
The bill also eliminates a long-standing loophole that has allowed most military aircraft to operate without ADS-B transmission. Other provisions would strengthen oversight of mixed civil-military air traffic, direct the FAA to update standards for safe aircraft separation and controller training once ADS-B In becomes widespread, and establish a new FAA Office of FAA-DoD Coordination.
“The ROTOR Act makes common-sense safety improvements that are long overdue,” said Sen. Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee. Ranking Member Sen. Maria Cantwell, Democrat of Washington, added that the measure “ensures ADS-B In and Out requirements are truly implemented after 17 years of delay with no FAA loopholes.”
‘Second mandate’ in the name of safety?
While the safety goals have drawn bipartisan praise, the proposal has caught the attention of aircraft owners who already spent thousands of dollars to comply with the FAA’s 2020 ADS-B Out mandate. That rule, more than a decade in the making, required most aircraft operating in controlled airspace to broadcast their position but stopped short of requiring the ability to receive data.
At the time, FAA officials stressed that ADS-B In would remain optional, citing the high cost of equipping the general aviation fleet. Many owners chose low-cost ADS-B Out-only solutions, such as the Garmin GTX 335 or uAvionix tailBeacon, that meet regulatory requirements but lack the hardware needed to display incoming traffic and weather data.
If the ROTOR Act passes as written, those same operators would now have to replace or upgrade equipment — a second round of compliance that could range from a few thousand dollars for portable receivers to tens of thousands for panel-mounted systems integrated with glass displays.
Industry groups have yet to formally oppose the proposal, but several have hinted at concerns over cost, timeline, and certification bottlenecks. Avionics shops already face long lead times, and some legacy aircraft may require significant work to a
Supporters of the mandate argue the benefits outweigh the costs. With both civil and military aircraft broadcasting and receiving positional data, mid-air collision risk would drop sharply. Pilots would also gain better situational awareness in congested airspace and improved weather information during flight.
Still, the optics are sure to wrankle some aircraft owners. After years of being told ADS-B Out would satisfy the FAA’s surveillance modernization goals, they now face what some see as a “second mandate” in the name of a safety upgrade. The timeline to 2031 offers a long runway for comliance, but the change could fuel frustration among general aviation pilots who feel they already did their part.
The Senate Commerce Committee is expected to advance the ROTOR Act this week as part of a broader aviation safety package. If enacted, the FAA would begin rulemaking to implement the new requirement, with details on compliance, retrofit options, and exemptions to follow.
