Helicopter Safety Parity Act of 2026
Officially: “Helicopter Safety Parity Act of 2026” Read the full text
What it does
Read it in plain language
1Short title
This section says the Act can be called the Helicopter Safety Parity Act of 2026.
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1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Helicopter Safety Parity Act of 2026 .
2Findings
Congress states several findings to explain the bill. Some helicopter operators carry passengers under part 135 of the federal aviation rules in a way that is very similar to the scheduled airline service covered by part 121, but part 135 lets them avoid the tougher part 121 standards for pilot training, duty and rest limits, maintenance, and equipment. The Federal Aviation Administration has acknowledged this gap and proposed a rule to close it, but that rulemaking has not been finished. Congress states that public safety requires rotorcraft passenger service to meet standards equivalent to those governing airlines, and that this Act builds on, without duplicating, the FAA's 2024 Safety Management System final rule. Congress also points to a series of helicopter accidents, including fatal crashes involving tour operators, charter services, and air taxi operations, that revealed recurring problems with pilot fatigue, inadequate maintenance, and insufficient equipment, including the April 2025 Hudson River helicopter crash, which Congress says showed that inadequate maintenance oversight under part 135 can contribute to catastrophic failures and shows the need for standards matching part 121.
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2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Certain helicopter operators conduct passenger service under part 135 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, that is substantially similar to part 121 of such title scheduled passenger operations. (2) These operations avoid the more rigorous standards for pilot training, duty and rest, maintenance, and equipment required under part 121 of such title. (3) The Federal Aviation Administration has acknowledged this gap and proposed rulemaking to close it, but such rulemaking has not been finalized. (4) Public safety requires that rotorcraft providing passenger service comply with standards equivalent to those governing airlines. (5) This Act builds on, and does not duplicate, the requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration Safety Management System final rule issued in 2024. (6) A series of helicopter accidents in recent years, including fatal crashes involving tour operators, charter services, and air taxi operations, have revealed recurring issues with pilot fatigue, inadequate maintenance, and insufficient equipment, including the April 2025 Hudson River helicopter crash, which demonstrated that inadequate maintenance oversight under part 135 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, can contribute to catastrophic failures, highlighting the need for harmonized standards with part 121 of such title.
3Definitions
This section would define terms used in the Act. "Part 121 operations" means operations conducted under part 121 of title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, the rules that generally apply to scheduled airlines. "Part 121 operators" means operators that conduct part 121 operations. "Part 135 operations" means operations conducted under part 135 of title 14, the rules that generally apply to charter, air taxi, and similar on-demand operators. "Part 135 operators" means operators that conduct part 135 operations. "Rotorcraft" has the meaning already given to that term in section 1.1 of title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
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3. Definitions In this Act: (1) Part 121 operations The term part 121 operations means operations conducted under part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations. (2) Part 121 operators The term part 121 operators means operators conducting part 121 operations. (3) Part 135 operations The term part 135 operations means operations conducted under part 135 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations. (4) Part 135 operators The term part 135 operators means operators conducting part 135 operations. (5) Rotorcraft The term rotorcraft has the meaning given that term in section 1.1 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.
4Safety equipment and operational standards for helicopter operations
This section would apply to all turbine-powered helicopters that carry 2 or more passengers for compensation or hire. Operators of those helicopters would have to comply with safety equipment, training, and maintenance requirements equivalent to the requirements that apply to part 121 (scheduled airline) operations. Those requirements would include equipment able to provide terrain awareness (or equivalent technology approved by the FAA Administrator), equipment able to record cockpit voice (or equivalent approved technology), equipment able to record flight data (or equivalent approved technology), and compliance with the part 121 standards for pilot qualification, duty and rest limits, and maintenance programs. Operators would have to fully comply not later than 24 months after the Act is enacted, though the Administrator could grant an extension of up to 6 additional months if an operator shows good-faith progress toward compliance. The section would not apply to operations conducted exclusively for emergency medical services under subpart L of part 135 of title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
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4. Safety equipment and operational standards for helicopter operations (a) Applicability This section applies to all turbine-powered helicopters carrying 2 or more passengers for compensation or hire. (b) Requirements Operators subject to subsection (a) shall comply with safety equipment, training, and maintenance requirements equivalent to those applicable to part 121 operations, including— (1) equipment capable of providing terrain awareness, or equivalent technology approved by the Administrator; (2) equipment capable of cockpit voice recording, or equivalent technology approved by the Administrator; (3) equipment capable of flight data recording, or equivalent technology approved by the Administrator; and (4) compliance with standards under part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, for pilot qualification, duty and rest, and maintenance programs. (c) Compliance timeline (1) In general Operators subject to this section shall achieve full compliance not later than 24 months after the date of enactment of this Act. (2) Extension The Administrator may grant an extension of up to 6 additional months upon a showing of good faith progress toward compliance. (d) Exception This section shall not apply to operations conducted exclusively for emergency medical services under subpart L of part 135 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.
5Rulemaking
This section would require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to issue final regulations to carry out the Act not later than 18 months after the date of enactment. The Administrator would also have to rescind or modify any exemptions, interpretations, or guidance that are inconsistent with the Act.
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5. Rulemaking (a) Final rule Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall issue final regulations to carry out this Act. (b) Termination of inconsistent exemptions The Administrator shall rescind or modify any exemptions, interpretations, or guidance inconsistent with this Act.
6Enforcement
This section would make an operator that fails to comply with the Act's requirements subject to the same penalties, certificate actions, and enforcement measures that apply to violations by part 121 operators under chapter 447 of title 49 of the United States Code.
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6. Enforcement An operator that fails to comply with the requirements of this Act shall be subject to the same penalties, certificate actions, and enforcement measures applicable to violations by part 121 operators under chapter 447 of title 49, United States Code.
7Authorization of appropriations
This section would authorize $50,000,000 to be appropriated to the Federal Aviation Administration for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030, to carry out the Act's requirements, including rulemaking, enforcement, oversight, and hiring and training aviation safety inspectors to strengthen maintenance and operational surveillance of rotorcraft operators.
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7. Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to the Federal Aviation Administration $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to carry out the requirements of this Act, including rulemaking, enforcement, oversight, and the hiring and training of aviation safety inspectors to strengthen maintenance and operational surveillance of rotorcraft operators.
8Implementation plan
This section would require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, not later than 12 months after enactment, to submit a report to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. The report would have to describe staffing needs for implementing the Act, the steps taken to hire and train additional aviation safety inspectors, and progress in bringing rotorcraft operators into oversight systems consistent with part 121 of title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
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8. Implementation plan Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration 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 describing— (1) staffing needs for implementation of this Act; (2) steps taken to hire and train additional aviation safety inspectors; and (3) progress in integrating rotorcraft operators into oversight systems consistent with part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.
9Effective date
This section would make the Act's requirements take effect 2 years after the date the Act is enacted.
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9. Effective date The requirements of this Act shall take effect on the date that is 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act.
Where it is
In the House.