T&I Committee Unanimously Passes ALERT Act

March 27, 2026 Newsletters Image On Thursday, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unanimously approved its portion of the Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act , bipartisan legislation aimed at strengthening aviation safety across our national airspace system.  For the CNMI, reliable air travel is essential to our economy, tourism industry, and access to healthcare and education.  The ALERT Act responds to lessons learned from the tragic 2025 midair collision near Washington, D.C., and implements a comprehensive package of safety improvements.  It directs the Federal Aviation Administration to equip commercial planes and helicopters near busy airports with advanced collision avoidance systems (ACAS Xa and ACAS Xr), integrate Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast-In (ADS-B In) technology to enhance pilot situational awareness, evaluate helicopter flight paths, improve “see-and-avoid” training for controllers and pilots, and audit FAA safety practices.  The bill advanced out of committee with bipartisan support and now moves to the full House for consideration. Issues : Transportation and Infrastructure