Bill Summary
The "Air Traffic Situational Awareness Enhancement Act" is a piece of legislation aimed at improving air traffic control operations by requiring the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to enhance situational awareness at certain air traffic control towers. Specifically, the Act mandates the FAA Administrator to acquire and install certified Airborne Position Reference Tools at towers that are operating under contract but lack advanced situational awareness systems like the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement Systems (STARS).
Key provisions of the Act include:
1. **Installation Deadline**: The FAA must install these tools within one year of the Act's enactment at specified towers.
2. **System Upgrades**: For towers not equipped with STARS or equivalent systems, the FAA is required to purchase and maintain such systems, also within one year.
3. **Training Programs**: The FAA must establish training programs for air traffic controllers at contract towers to ensure the effective use of the new equipment.
4. **Retroactive Reimbursement**: Airports or towers that independently acquired situational awareness systems before the FAA's installation can receive reimbursement for those systems.
5. **Funding Authorization**: The Act authorizes expenditures for the acquisition, installation, and operating expenses of the new tools at the specified towers.
Overall, the legislation aims to enhance safety and efficiency in air traffic management by ensuring that all control towers have access to modern situational awareness tools.
Possible Impacts
Here are three examples of how the Air Traffic Situational Awareness Enhancement Act could affect people:
1. **Increased Flight Safety**: The installation of certified Airborne Position Reference Tools and Standard Terminal Automation Replacement Systems at air traffic control towers would enhance situational awareness for air traffic controllers. This improvement could lead to better monitoring of aircraft positions and movements, ultimately reducing the risk of accidents and increasing the overall safety of air travel for passengers and crew.
2. **Enhanced Training for Air Traffic Controllers**: The Act mandates the establishment of a training program for air traffic controllers at contract towers to ensure they can effectively use the new situational awareness tools. This focus on training may result in better-prepared controllers who are more adept at managing air traffic, which can lead to smoother operations and improved response times during emergencies, positively impacting the experiences of both air traffic controllers and pilots.
3. **Financial Support for Airports**: The legislation includes provisions for reimbursement or retroactive grant funding for airports that have already invested in certified situational awareness systems prior to the enactment of the Act. This financial support could alleviate the financial burden on airport sponsors and encourage continued investment in safety technology, benefiting local economies and ensuring that airports can maintain or improve their operational capabilities without incurring significant costs.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3929 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3929
To require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to
acquire and install certified airborne position reference tools at air
traffic control towers, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 26, 2026
Mr. Sheehy (for himself, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Daines, and Mr. Wyden)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to
acquire and install certified airborne position reference tools at air
traffic control towers, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Air Traffic Situational Awareness
Enhancement Act''.
SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO AIR TRAFFIC SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.
(a) Airborne Position Reference Tool Installation.--Not later than
1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator
of the Federal Aviation Administration shall acquire and install
certified Airborne Position Reference Tools at air traffic control
towers of the Federal Aviation Administration that are--
(1) operating under contract with the Federal Aviation
Administration pursuant to section 47124 of title 49, United
States Code; and
(2) not equipped with Standard Terminal Automation
Replacement Systems or other situational awareness tools.
(b) Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System Installation
and Maintenance.--Section 47124(f)(2) of title 49, United States Code,
is amended to read as follows:
``(2) Installation and maintenance.--For any tower operated
under the Contract Tower Program that is not equipped with
Standard Terminal Automation Replacement Systems or other
situational awareness tools as of the date of enactment of the
Air Traffic Situational Awareness Enhancement Act, not later
than 1 year after such date, the Secretary shall purchase a
Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System, or any
equivalent system, and install and maintain such system using
services directly from an original equipment manufacturer or
services of the Federal Aviation Administration.''.
(c) Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System Funding.--
Section 47124(f)(3) of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``and'' after the
semicolon; and
(2) by striking subparagraphs (C) through (E) and inserting
the following:
``(C) shall establish, in consultation with
contract tower operators, an appropriate training
program to periodically train air traffic controllers
employed by such operators to ensure proper and
efficient integration and use of the situational
awareness equipment and technology described in
paragraph (1) into contract tower operations.''.
(d) Retroactivity.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
Secretary of Transportation shall provide to any airport sponsor or air
traffic control tower described in subsection (a)--
(1) reimbursement for any certified situational awareness
system (including Airborne Position Reference Tools in
accordance with subsection (a)) that was independently acquired
and installed prior to the date on which the Administrator
installs any such system under subsection (a); or
(2) reimbursement or retroactive grant funding in
accordance with section 47124(b) of title 49, United States
Code, for any certified situational awareness system (including
a Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System) that was
independently acquired and installed prior to the effective
date of the amendments made by subsection (b).
(e) Authorized Expenditures for Air Navigation Facilities and
Equipment.--Section 48101(c) of title 49, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(10) The acquisition, installation, and annual operating
expenses of certified Airborne Position Reference Tools at air
traffic control towers that are operating under contract with
the Federal Aviation Administration under section 47124 and are
not equipped with Standard Terminal Automation Replacement
Systems or other situational awareness tools.''.
<all>