Senator Roberts’ Measure to Protect General Aviators Passes Senate and Moves to President’s Desk

 Successfully allows noncommercial pilots to opt-out of having their aircraft tracked by anyone, anywhere in the world

Legislation including language championed by U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) to block the federal government from dismantling a program protecting the privacy of general aviation pilots has passed the Senate and now moves to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

“I’m pleased this significant program will continue to provide safety and privacy for so many in the aviation industry,” said Roberts. “Had this legislation been blocked, it would have set a dangerous precedent that would jeopardize private citizens’ personal information and movements across the country. Our pilots can now rest assured that, if they choose, their movements will not be monitored for all to see. As your U.S. senator, I will continue to fight against any actions by the federal government that infringe upon the rights of my fellow Americans.”

The provision was included in the conference report of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations package, which passed the Senate on Nov. 17. The language closely mirrors Roberts’ bill, S. 1477, the BARR Preservation Act of 2011. It stops a recent decision by the Department of Transportation (DOT) to end the Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program, which allows citizens and companies to opt out of having their noncommercial aircraft movements tracked by anyone, anywhere in the world who has an Internet connection, other than the Department of Homeland Security and other law enforcement agencies. BARR simply prevents unauthorized, non-governmental actors from knowing the location of private citizens.

BARR came under threat when the Department of Transportation implemented a plan to end the program. The reversal moved to dismantle a decade-old policy put in place to uphold the privacy rights of thousands of Americans.

By limiting the privacy protection afforded by the BARR program to only those with a known and specific security threat, the government would facilitate unwarranted intrusions into the privacy of aircraft owners and operators for the first time, creating an unprecedented threat to the competitiveness of U.S. companies and a potential security risk to those on board.

Sen. Roberts has been at the forefront of this issue, leading a bipartisan group of senators in sending a letter to DOT asking Secretary Ray LaHood not to end the BARR program before Congress completed its work on the FAA Reauthorization bill, where the BARR program was being considered.

The original bill was co-sponsored by Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Mark Begich (D-Alaska) and Thad Cochran (R-Miss.). Kansas Congressman Mike Pompeo introduced a companion bill in the House, which was cosponsored by Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins (R-Kan.) and Congressman Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.), among others.

Sen. Roberts is a member of the Senate General Aviation Caucus and is an outspoken advocate for General Aviation.