President Joe Biden on May 25 received a bipartisan, bicameral bill offered by U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN) to help prevent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) system outages and is expected to sign it into law.
“I’m glad to see my NOTAM Improvement Act clear both chambers of Congress and head to the president’s desk,” Rep. Stauber said. “This critical legislation will improve air travel for Americans by making the NOTAM system work better for pilots and passengers alike. I look forward to seeing the bill be signed into law soon.”
The NOTAM Improvement Act of 2023, H.R. 346/S. 66, requires the FAA to establish a task force to strengthen the resiliency and cybersecurity of the NOTAM system, which alerts pilots of safety and location hazards on flight routes, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
Rep. Stauber on Jan. 12 sponsored H.R. 346 with lead original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), while Sens. Moran and Capito on Jan. 25 cosponsored S. 66 alongside bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).
“The complete failure of the FAA’s NOTAM system stranded millions of Americans [in January] and was a warning of the need to strengthen and modernize our air travel system,” said Sen. Moran. “The FAA has a responsibility to make certain air travel in our country is as safe and efficient as possible. Passing this legislation is an important step to help meet the demands of 21st-century travel and prevent a similar failure in the future.”
Sen. Capito pointed out that the system failure that grounded all flights earlier this year should not happen again.
“I was proud to join my colleagues Senators Klobuchar and Moran in this effort that would prevent similar outages in the future,” said Sen. Capito. “The NOTAM Improvement Act creates a task force of experts to develop specific improvements for this critical system, and I’m pleased to see it pass the House overwhelmingly and head to the president’s desk.”
Under the bill, the task force will be composed of representatives from air carriers, airports, and airline pilot, aircraft dispatcher, and FAA personnel unions, as well as aviation safety and cybersecurity experts.
The U.S. House of Representatives on Jan. 25 voted 424-4 to approve H.R. 346, which the U.S. Senate passed on May 9 by unanimous consent. Both chambers resolved their differences with the bill on May 22 and presented it to Biden on May 25.