This bill addresses a regulatory loophole that allows military and other government aircraft to turn off their aircraft tracking systems without full oversight. ADS–B Out is a tracking technology that broadcasts aircraft location and identification information to improve aviation safety. Currently, military and government aircraft can disable this tracking during "sensitive government missions," but the bill requires the FAA to narrowly define what qualifies as sensitive and limit exemptions to only the specific flight portions when sensitive activities actually occur. The FAA must issue revised regulations within one year and agencies must submit quarterly reports detailing when and why they disable tracking. The bill also mandates a Government Accountability Office review within two years, annual audits by the Transportation Department inspector general starting in year three, and requires Congress to be notified if any agency disables tracking five or more times in a month. The legislation aims to increase transparency and oversight while maintaining legitimate national security needs.
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