WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two key House committees unanimously approved a revised aviation safety bill on Thursday that addresses National Transportation Safety Board recommendations for preventing midair collisions. The bill, which now has the backing of the NTSB, would require aircraft flying around busy airports to have key locator systems.

The Alert Act would require planes to have Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast In systems capable of receiving data about the locations of other aircraft. The revised bill would also require the Federal Aviation Administration, the Department of Transportation, and the military to take actions addressing NTSB recommendations.

The legislation follows the January 29, 2025, midair collision between an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C., which killed 67 people. "If both the plane and the Black Hawk had been equipped with ADS-B In and the systems had been turned on, the collision would have been prevented," NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said.

"The original version of the bill was a 'watered down' measure that would not do enough to prevent future tragedies," NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said last month. The NTSB has been recommending key locator systems since 2008.

Victims' families said Thursday that they are encouraged by the changes in the bill but will not endorse it until it also includes strict timelines for implementation. "Any safety requirement that routes implementation through negotiated processes, administrative discretion, or multi-step rulemaking creates opportunities for delay that cost lives," the families said. "The strongest version of this bill will set clear statutory timelines and performance standards that leave no room for process to become an obstacle."

At the time of the crash, Army policy mandated that its helicopters fly without ADS-B In to conceal their locations. The helicopter involved in the crash was on a training flight, not a sensitive mission. Most planes already have ADS-B Out systems that broadcast their locations.

The Airlines for America trade group and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association have backed the House aviation safety bill. The bill will go to the full House for a vote after committee approval.