The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed aviation safety legislation 396-10 in response to last year's deadly midair collision between an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C.

The ALERT Act, sponsored by Republican Sam Graves and Democrat Rick Larsen, requires aircraft flying around busy airports to have Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast In systems that can receive data about the locations of other aircraft. The National Transportation Safety Board said such technology would have prevented the January 29, 2025 collision that killed all 67 people aboard both aircraft.

The crash occurred when the American Airlines jet, flying from Wichita, Kansas, and the military helicopter collided over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. It was the deadliest plane crash on U.S. soil since 2001, with victims including 28 members of the figure skating community.

The NTSB's investigation found that a poorly designed helicopter route in the approach path of a Reagan National Airport runway failed to ensure adequate separation between helicopters and landing planes. Air traffic controllers relied too heavily on pilots visually spotting and avoiding other aircraft, the board determined.

NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy initially criticized earlier versions of the bill as "watered down" but said the revised legislation now addresses key safety recommendations the board has been making since 2008. Most commercial aircraft already have complementary ADS-B Out systems that broadcast their locations, but the new law would require the receiving capability as well.

The bill now advances to the Senate, where similar legislation previously fell one vote short in the House. Victims' families and some senators have called for stricter timelines to ensure the reforms are implemented quickly.