[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>