House transportation panel advances cybersecurity, aviation and federal real estate oversight bills

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Transportation panel advances bills

Highlights

The House Transportation Committee advanced a legislative package covering Coast Guard cybersecurity, aviation safety, rural airport funding, and oversight of federal real estate portfolios.
The Drone Safety Statement Modernization Act of 2026 and Rural Airport Infrastructure Support Act of 2026 lower local funding matches for distressed airports and impose new FAA requirements for drones and pilot medication transparency.
The Strengthening Oversight in Public Buildings Act of 2026 mandates improved federal real estate data transparency, while capital investment resolutions authorize safety, security, and veterans' healthcare-related building improvements.

Committee package spans aviation and cybersecurity

As reported by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, the panel approves legislation aimed at the Coast Guard’s cybersecurity mission, aviation safety and innovation, and oversight of federal real estate.

Committee Chairman Sam Graves says the measures strengthen maritime cybersecurity, improve accountability and efficiency in the federal property portfolio, raise aviation safety and expand access to the aviation system for rural communities. Ranking Member Rick Larsen says the committee continues a bipartisan stretch of lawmaking that also addresses nonprofit security and disaster recovery access.

Among the aviation measures, the committee approves the Drone Safety Statement Modernization Act of 2026, which directs the Federal Aviation Administration to develop and maintain a safety statement for small unmanned aircraft system operations and requires manufacturers and operators to provide and acknowledge that information before first use. The panel also advances the Rural Airport Infrastructure Support Act of 2026, which lowers the local match for Airport Improvement Program projects to 5% from 10% for certain economically distressed communities that previously qualified for Essential Air Service but later lost that service.

The aviation package also includes the Quiet Skies Act, requiring the Department of Transportation to issue a final rule banning voice calls on electronic devices during scheduled commercial passenger flights, and the Aviation Medication Transparency Act of 2026, which requires the FAA to publicly list medications aviation professionals may safely use and those they should avoid while flying. Lawmakers additionally approve the Air Traffic Situational Awareness Enhancement Act, which directs the FAA to install approved awareness tools in Federal Contract Towers and reimburse towers that already purchased the equipment, and the Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act, which sets clearer timelines and procedures for type certification of advanced air mobility aircraft.

Property oversight and broader operational impact

The committee also approves the Marine Transportation System Cybersecurity Budget and Evaluation Report Act of 2026, which directs the Government Accountability Office to assess whether the Coast Guard has the workforce, resources and tools needed for its maritime cybersecurity mission. The review is set to examine enforcement of cybersecurity requirements, industry compliance and guidance for maritime stakeholders.

On federal property, the Strengthening Oversight in Public Buildings Act of 2026 would revise reforms enacted in the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024 to increase transparency in the federal real estate portfolio. The bill requires the Office of Management and Budget and the General Services Administration to provide space utilization data access to the Government Accountability Office and the Public Buildings Reform Board, while agencies with independent leasing authority would have to report office lease data to relevant congressional committees.

The package also includes General Services Administration capital investment and leasing resolutions authorizing leases and building improvements tied to safety, security and federal space use, including projects supporting veterans’ healthcare. Separate approvals cover the Pray Safe Act of 2025, which creates a Department of Homeland Security clearinghouse for nonprofit and faith-based security resources, and the Post-Disaster Protection Act, which extends the deadline to appeal a FEMA disaster assistance decision to 90 days from 60 days.

Our earlier article on the FAA’s air traffic control modernization funding gap detailed how phase one costs have risen to about $16 billion versus $12.5 billion approved by Congress, forcing the agency to cover shortfalls while seeking additional funds for later phases. It also highlighted watchdog concerns about underestimated total costs, the lack of a detailed completion schedule, and the timeline for replacing outdated telecommunications infrastructure to improve system reliability.

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