{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases/following-deadly-midair-collision-davids-passes-bipartisan-aviation-safety", "Following Deadly Midair Collision, Davids Passes Bipartisan Aviation Safety Bill Out of Committee", "2026-03-26", "2026", "2026-03", "Democrat", "House", "KS", "Sharice Davids", "D000629", "davids.house.gov", "davids", "https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Representative Sharice Davids released the following statement after voting in the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to support the ALERT Act, bipartisan legislation she introduced to modernize aviation safety systems, strengthen air traffic controller training, and reduce the risk of future tragedies. The bill is supported by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which investigates aviation accidents and issues recommendations to prevent future incidents.\n\n\u201cSince last year\u2019s devastating midair collision, I\u2019ve stayed in close contact with the Kansas families who lost loved ones. Their grief is something no one should have to carry \u2014 and their courage in pushing for meaningful change has guided this process every step of the way.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m proud to have helped lead the bipartisan ALERT Act and to vote for it today because it reflects their voices and has earned strong support from aviation safety experts. It takes important, evidence-based steps to strengthen training, modernize safety systems, and reduce the risk of future midair collisions.\n\n\u201cNo bill can undo the pain these families have experienced. But we have a responsibility to listen, to act, and to make our aviation system safer for everyone \u2014 from passengers and crew to military personnel and communities on the ground. This is an important step forward, but it is not final. I also voted to pass reforms proposed by the Senate and I\u2019ll keep working with Kansas families, safety experts, and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to strengthen the final product, work through differences, and deliver a solution that improves safety while bringing everyone to the table.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nOn January 29, 2025, Flight 5342 departed Wichita, KS (ICT), bound for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). As the flight approached its destination, it collided midair with a military training helicopter, tragically killing the two pilots, two flight attendants, and 60 passengers on the airplane, along with all three crew members aboard the helicopter.\n\nThe ALERT Act, split between civilian air travel and military aircraft safety, is informed by recommendations from the NTSB and addresses concerns about airspace congestion, communication failures, outdated collision-avoidance systems, and coordination between civilian and military aircraft.\n\nSpecifically, the ALERT Act would:\n\nUpgrade Aircraft Collision Warning Systems\n\nDirect the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to evaluate and implement improvements to advanced collision-avoidance technology on commercial aircraft.\n\nEstablish a timeline for deploying updated systems that provide earlier and clearer warnings to pilots.\n\nStrengthen Air Traffic Controller Training\n\nCreate expert working groups to modernize controller training standards.\n\nImprove risk assessment tools to help controllers identify hazards in real time.\n\nIncrease transparency if safety recommendations are not adopted.\n\nImprove Airspace Communication\n\nStudy technology that detects \u201cblocked transmissions,\u201d which occur when radio messages overlap and critical information is lost.\n\nProvide Congress with cost and implementation recommendations.\n\nReview Airspace Congestion and Airport Capacity\n\nRequire the FAA to assess safe arrival and departure rates at congested airports.\n\nReview aircraft spacing requirements in complex airspace environments.\n\nEnhance Military Aviation Safety\n\nRequire closer coordination between the Department of Defense and the FAA on collision-avoidance systems.\n\nStrengthen helicopter safety management systems, particularly in shared civilian-military airspace.\n\nAnd more\n\nDavids also previously voted to support the Rotorcraft Operations Transparency and Oversight Reform (ROTOR) Act \u2013 a bipartisan bill aimed at improving aviation safety standards. Although it failed to pass the U.S. House, it is supported by the victims\u2019 families and safety professionals.\n\nFollowing the tragic collision, Davids has taken several additional steps to improve aviation safety and honor the lives lost:\n\nMet with the victims\u2019 families in Wichita and pledged to be a voice for transparency and reform in the investigation.\n\nPressed FAA and NTSB experts in a U.S. Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on air traffic controller shortages and safety protocols.\n\nToured the Olathe Air Traffic Control Center to highlight critical staffing needs and renew her call for increased investments in aviation safety infrastructure.\n\nResponded to initial NTSB recommendations with a commitment to act on any legislative fixes needed to keep passengers and crew safe.\n\nPledged to act on recommendations from an initial NTSB investigative hearing on the tragic midair collision.\n\nHonored the one-year anniversary by submitting a statement into the Congressional Record pledging continued action to prevent future tragedies.", 1, "2026-04-11T05:33:44Z", "2026-04-11T05:34:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://davids.house.gov/media/press-releases/following-deadly-midair-collision-davids-passes-bipartisan-aviation-safety"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.327315043658018, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}