Implementation of National Transportation Safety Board recommendations for Department of Defense

(a) In general Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall implement each recommendation for the Department of Defense and the Department of the Army from the National Transportation Safety Board contained in the report dated January 27, 2026, and entitled, Midair Collision over the Potomac River PSA Airlines Flight 5342, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) RJ Aviation CL–600–2C10 (CRJ700), and US Army Priority Air Transport Flight 25, Sikorsky UH–60L (Aviation Investigation Report AIR–26–02), as the Secretary determines appropriate and practicable. (b) Implementation The Secretary of Defense shall implement the recommendations under subsection (a), as applicable, across the Armed Forces and aviation units under the jurisdiction of the Secretary. (c) Reports (1) Initial report Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives— (A) a certification specifying which recommendations under subsection (a) have been implemented, including a justification for any recommendation not implemented; and (B) a plan of the Department of Defense to mitigate the risk identified in each such recommendation not implemented. (2) Quarterly report Not later than March 1, 2027, and not less frequently than quarterly thereafter until December 31, 2030, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report detailing the status of implementation of this section across each branch of the Armed Forces and any barriers to such implementation. (d) Inspector General audits (1) In general Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than annually thereafter, the Inspector General of the Department of Defense shall conduct an audit of oversight by the Department of Defense of all operations of aircraft of the Department in the national airspace system. (2) Considerations In conducting each audit under paragraph (1), the Inspector General shall assess the efficacy of implementation by the Department of the recommendations under subsection (a). (3) Briefings to Congress Not less frequently than annually after the completion of the first audit under paragraph (1), the Inspector General shall brief the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives on the findings of the audits conducted under such paragraph.