Inspector General of the Army audit

(a) In general Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Inspector General of the Army shall initiate an audit to evaluate the Army’s coordination with the FAA, pilot training, and qualification standards, and the Army’s use of ADS-B Out and whether it adheres to Army policy, regulation, and law. (b) Assessment In conducting the audit required by subsection (a), the Inspector General of the Army shall assess practices and recommendations for the Army, including— (1) whether Army policy and United States law was adhered to, and the Army’s coordination with the FAA, during National Capital Region (NCR) operations of pilot training and qualifications standards in the NCR; (2) the Army’s policy on ADS-B Out equipage, usage, and activation; (3) maintenance protocols for UH–60 Black Hawk helicopters operated by the 12th Army Aviation Brigade including, but not limited to, the calibration of any system that transmits altitude and position information outside the aircraft and the calibration of systems that send altitude and position information to the pilots inside the aircraft, and the frequency with which such maintenance protocols occur; (4) compliance with the September 29, 2021, Letter of Agreement executed between the Pentagon Heliport Air Traffic Control Tower and the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Air Traffic Control Tower regarding flight operations in the NCR; and (5) the Army’s review of loss of separation incidents involving its rotorcraft in the NCR along with possible mitigations to prevent future mishaps. (c) Public disclosure Not later than 14 days after the audit required by subsection (a) is concluded, the Secretary of the Army shall— (1) transmit a report on the results of the audit, without redactions, to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives; and (2) publicly release the report without redactions, except to the extent required for national security reasons. (d) Interim reporting Not later than 180 days after initiating the audit required by subsection (a), and every 180 days thereafter until such audit is concluded, the Inspector General of the Army shall brief the committees of Congress described in subsection (c)(1) regarding the progress of such audit.