[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 55 (Tuesday, March 24, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H2655-H2657]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AVIATION SUPPLY CHAIN SAFETY AND SECURITY DIGITIZATION ACT OF 2025
Mr. TAYLOR. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 6267) to direct the Comptroller General of the United States
to conduct a study on the impediments to digital documentation and
verification in the aviation supply chain, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 6267
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 ``Aviation Supply Chain Safety
and Security Digitization Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. INTEGRITY OF AEROSPACE PARTS DOCUMENTATION.
(a) Study.--The Comptroller General of the United States
shall conduct a study on the impediments to the use of
digital documentation and verification in the aviation supply
chain to aid in identifying falsified documentation and
counterfeit parts.
(b) Contents.--In conducting the study under subsection
(a), the Comptroller General shall evaluate the challenges
of--
(1) manufacturers, repairs stations, air carriers, aircraft
lessors, aircraft brokers, parts brokers, and other supply
chain participants to adopting the use of digital authorized
release certificates, including FAA Form 8130-3;
(2) the aviation industry in utilizing digital verification
and authentication tools;
(3) establishing standardized documentation in the aviation
industry; and
[[Page H2656]]
(4) transitioning the Federal Aviation Administration
from--
(A) legacy paper-based records to digital documentation;
and
(B) physical to digital signatures.
(c) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit
to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report containing
the results of the study conducted under subsection (a).
(2) Recommendations.--The Comptroller General shall include
in the report submitted under paragraph (1)--
(A) recommendations on--
(i) ways to encourage each organization in the aviation
industry, regardless of the size of such organization, to
adopt the use of digital forms and authentication tools; and
(ii) how to accelerate the adoption of digital
documentation by the Federal Aviation Administration; and
(B) any other recommendations the Comptroller General
determines appropriate.
(d) Response of Secretary of Transportation.--Not later
than 120 days after submission of the report required under
paragraph (c), the Secretary of Transportation shall respond
to any recommendations in such report directed to the
Department of Transportation or any office of the Department.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Taylor) and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Figures) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio.
General Leave
Mr. TAYLOR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
insert extraneous material into the record on H.R. on 6267.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Ohio?
There was no objection.
Mr. TAYLOR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the safety of our airspace is and has always been the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure's top priority.
That commitment to aviation safety extends down to the raw materials
and components used to manufacture and maintain aircraft that are
operational in the National Airspace System.
Recent reports of bad actors falsifying paperwork, leading to
unapproved parts entering the supply chain, are not only highly
concerning but also underscores the need to authenticate documents and
intercept counterfeit parts.
Unapproved parts and falsified documentation threaten the safety of
our aviation system and the integrity of our supply chain, which we
have worked so diligently to strengthen.
Mr. Speaker, American manufacturers, repair stations, air carriers,
aircraft lessors, aircraft brokers, and parts brokers deserve and need
the tools to easily identify falsified documentation and ensure they
are not buying, selling, or installing counterfeit parts.
H.R. 6267 will identify barriers to tools that can help identify
counterfeit parts, ensuring everyone in the aviation supply chain has
the ability to verify the authenticity of the materials and parts they
purchase.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6267, the Aviation Supply
Chain Safety and Security Digitization Act, bipartisan legislation
introduced by my friends Representative Knott of North Carolina and
Representative Scholten of Michigan.
U.S. innovation, economic growth, and global leadership are
impossible without our Nation's aerospace industry. This is an industry
that is particularly relevant to me representing Mobile, my hometown,
where we are the proud home to an Airbus facility.
Unfortunately, the last few years have taught us, through a pandemic,
tariffs, and quality control issues, just how much supply chain
disruptions can spiral and compound. It is essential that Congress take
this lesson and pass legislation to reduce the risk of these
compounding disruptions from happening in the future.
H.R. 6267 directs the GAO to study the impediments to the use of
digital documentation and verification in the aviation supply chain to
aid in identifying falsified documentation and counterfeit parts.
As a major driver of the U.S. economy, we must ensure that aerospace
supply chains remain resilient. To achieve that, we must also remove
any unnecessary or antiquated barriers where we can.
This bill will help Congress find ways to expedite the aerospace
supply chains digital transition. I support this legislation and urge
my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. TAYLOR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
North Carolina (Mr. Knott).
Mr. KNOTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of my bill,
H.R. 6267, the Aviation Supply Chain Safety and Security Digitization
Act.
I thank Chairman Graves for the opportunity to speak today, and I
also thank my colleague from Michigan (Ms. Scholten) for joining me as
a cosponsor of this important piece of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, we often take for granted the delicate complexity of
airplanes, millions of parts and components working together to ensure
passenger safety. The FAA protects the supply chain by requiring
certification documents for each part following its manufacturing,
assembly, and repair. Known as an Authorized Release Certificate, or an
ARC, these documents certify each part meets rigorous FAA airworthiness
standards before an FAA certified technician can perform any necessary
work.
Unfortunately, today, Mr. Speaker, ARCs and similar certificates
represent a weak link in our aviation supply chain security.
Despite many advances since the Wright brothers' first flight in my
home State of North Carolina, the FAA's recordkeeping is stuck in 1903.
Ink and paper hold up the efficiency and the security of this
delicate supply chain. A few forged signatures are all that it takes
for a nefarious actor to inject hundreds, if not thousands, of
fraudulently and potentially dangerous parts into planes around the
world.
Unfortunately, this is not hypothetical. This very scenario has
already happened. In the summer of 2023, service employees in Europe
discovered that some of the engine's parts that they were working on
were noticeably older than their documentation indicated, and they
alerted the appropriate authorities.
It was then discovered that questionable parts had infiltrated more
than 126 airplane engines, affecting Delta, American, United, and
Southwest Airlines, among others.
This bill is a simple, industry-driven step towards defending against
similar occurrences. This bill would require the GAO to conduct a study
into barriers that prevent the FAA and the aviation industry from
modernizing their supply chain security by digitizing ARCs and other
safety documents which would prevent bad actors from so easily
compromising these important records.
My bill would also require the GAO to make prompt recommendations to
Congress on accelerating the FAA's adoption of digital documentation
and a path to voluntary adoption within the industry.
Again, Mr. Speaker, I thank all of the members of the aviation
industry who joined the Aviation Supply Chain Integrity Coalition. The
coalition's quick and focused efforts in response to the 2023 incident
that I just mentioned laid the important groundwork for this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I once again thank Chairman Graves and Representative
Scholten for their support, and I urge all of my colleagues to vote
``yes'' on H.R. 6267.
{time} 1630
Mr. FIGURES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, we must learn from past lessons, as Representative Knott
just explained the incident that happened in 2023. We have the tools at
our disposal to be able to deal with this, to be able to better secure
our supply chain in the aerospace industry, and we have an obligation
to do so.
That is why I support H.R. 6267, and I urge my colleagues to do the
same.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
[[Page H2657]]
Mr. TAYLOR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I thank Representative Knott from North
Carolina for his leadership on this important issue.
To reiterate, unapproved parts and falsified documentation threaten
the safety of our aviation system and the integrity of our supply chain
which holds it all together.
This legislation will improve aviation safety by identifying barriers
to adopting digital tools to identify the authenticity of materials and
parts in the aviation supply chain.
Furthermore, H.R. 6267, the Aviation Supply Chain Safety and Security
Digitization Act of 2025, will support the Federal Aviation
Administration as they work to digitize legacy paper systems as
required by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024.
Mr. Speaker, as a Representative of Ohio, where the Wright brothers
built and designed the very first airplane, I urge support of this
bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Taylor) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 6267.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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