Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

President Donald Trump on Thursday signed Michigan Congressman Tom Barrett’s Military Helicopter Training Safety Act into law to improve aviation safety in the aftermath of the tragic collision over Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in January.

This legislation, which was included in the National Defense Authorization Act, is Barrett’s first bill to become law and will begin the process of installing crash avoidance technology in military helicopters.

“Air travel in America should be safer than anywhere in the world — whether you’re a passenger going from Point A to B or an Army helicopter pilot training to defend our nation,” said Barrett.

“When disaster struck over the Potomac, I felt an obligation to use my position in Congress to correct course and make sure a similar tragedy never happens again. Getting this bill across the finish line and signed into law, in less than a year, is a proud moment for me. I’m grateful to my colleagues and President Trump for jumpstarting the process to equip military helicopters with anti-collision technology that could have prevented that fatal crash.”

Barrett introduced the Military Helicopter Training Safety Act in March following the January crash between an American Airlines passenger jet and a military helicopter in Washington, D.C. that claimed 67 lives.

The military helicopter was not equipped with a traffic alert and collision avoidance system, technology that can communicate with systems in other aircraft and direct pilots to avoid colliding.

The bill was incorporated into the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2026, the annual military policy bill that President Trump signed Thursday evening.

Barrett’s provision within the NDAA will require the Department of Defense to report on the feasibility of adding TCAS and other technology in military helicopters to help prevent future crashes. The report will be due 180 days after the president signs the NDAA into law, and Congress and the administration can then begin implementing the technology based on the report’s findings.

Click below to learn more about the Military Helicopter Training Safety Act. The bill is Sec. 1066 of the NDAA.