FAA SMS Compliance Review Act of 2026 | ChamberLight

REPORTED· 119TH CONGRESS

Senate BillS 3700Aviation and airportsEmployment and training programs

FAA SMS Compliance Review Act of 2026

INTRO JAN 27· LAST ACTION FEB 12

READING

8MIN

COSPONSORS

READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL

NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST

Reported, not passed

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

STEP 3 / 8

Introduced

In Committee

Reported

Passed Senate

Passed House

Conference

To President

Became Law

WHAT THE BILL DOES

AI-written

Voters should care about this bill because it directly impacts the safety of air travel in the United States. The FAA is responsible for overseeing the safety of all commercial and private flights, and an effective safety management system is crucial for preventing accidents and ensuring public confidence in air travel.

If this bill becomes law, an independent group of experts will provide an objective assessment of the FAA's current safety practices, identifying weaknesses and suggesting concrete improvements. This could lead to a stronger, more proactive safety culture within the FAA. If it doesn't become law, the FAA's existing safety management system might not receive the same level of independent scrutiny, potentially leaving unnoticed gaps or inefficiencies that could compromise aviation safety.

KEY PROVISIONS

4AI-extracted

PROVISION 01

Establishes an independent expert panel to review the FAA's Safety Management System (SMS).

This ensures an unbiased, external evaluation of the FAA's safety practices, which is crucial for identifying systemic issues.

PROVISION 02

Requires the panel to assess the FAA's SMS compliance with its own policies, its effectiveness, and how well it's integrated across different FAA divisions.

This comprehensive review covers both procedural adherence and practical efficacy, addressing key aspects of safety performance.

PROVISION 03

Mandates that the panel's findings and recommendations, including any dissenting opinions, be submitted to Congress and publicly published by the FAA.

Public transparency holds the FAA accountable for addressing identified safety concerns and allows the public to understand the state of aviation safety.

PROVISION 04

Grants the review panel authority to access FAA premises, de-identified records, and interview employees to gather necessary information.

This access is critical for the panel to conduct a thorough and accurate investigation without internal obstruction.

SPONSORSHIP

1 + 7

COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 0%

DEM 7 REP 0 IND 0

ACTION TIMELINE

3 EVENTS

FEB 12

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

COMMITTEE

JAN 27

Introduced in Senate

INTROREFERRAL

JAN 27

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

INTROREFERRAL

BILL INFO

TypeSenate Bill

NumberS 3700

Congress119th

StatusReported

IntroducedJan 27, 2026

Last actionFeb 12, 2026

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REPORTED· 119TH CONGRESS · COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED JAN 27, 2026

Senate BillS 3700Aviation and airportsEmployment and training programs

FAA SMS Compliance Review Act of 2026

INTRODUCED JAN 27, 2026· LAST ACTION FEB 12, 2026

PASSAGE CHANCES

—%

READING

8 min

COSPONSORS

COMPLEXITY

Moderate

Call my reps

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

STEP 3 OF 8

Introduced

In Committee

Reported

Passed Senate

Passed House

Conference

To President

Became Law

Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed Senate
Passed House
Conference
To President
Became Law

WHAT THE BILL DOES

AI-written

KEY PROVISIONS

AI-extracted

high

Establishes an independent expert panel to review the FAA's Safety Management System (SMS).

This ensures an unbiased, external evaluation of the FAA's safety practices, which is crucial for identifying systemic issues.

high

Requires the panel to assess the FAA's SMS compliance with its own policies, its effectiveness, and how well it's integrated across different FAA divisions.

This comprehensive review covers both procedural adherence and practical efficacy, addressing key aspects of safety performance.

med

Mandates that the panel's findings and recommendations, including any dissenting opinions, be submitted to Congress and publicly published by the FAA.

Public transparency holds the FAA accountable for addressing identified safety concerns and allows the public to understand the state of aviation safety.

med

Grants the review panel authority to access FAA premises, de-identified records, and interview employees to gather necessary information.

This access is critical for the panel to conduct a thorough and accurate investigation without internal obstruction.

DEADLINES & DATES

AI-extracted

An AI model extracted this from the bill’s official record and can make mistakes. Check the official text ↗ (opens in new tab)

Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment

Administrator shall convene an independent expert panel

Not later than 180 days after the date of the first meeting of the review panel

Review panel shall submit a report to the Administrator and appropriate committees of Congress

Not later than 5 days after receiving the report

Administrator shall publish the report

GLOSSARY

AI-written

Administrator: The head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
FAA: Federal Aviation Administration, the government agency responsible for the safety of civil aviation in the U.S.
Safety Management System (SMS): A structured and organized approach to managing safety, including policies, identifying risks, ensuring safety, and promoting safety throughout an organization.
Review Panel: An independent group of experts formed by this bill to evaluate the FAA's safety management practices and make recommendations.
ICAO: International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations agency that sets international standards and recommended practices for aviation safety, security, efficiency, and environmental protection.
Voluntary Safety Reporting Programs: Programs that allow aviation personnel to report safety concerns or incidents without fear of punishment, to help identify and fix safety issues.

ACTION TIMELINE

3 EVENTS

FEB 12

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

COMMITTEE

JAN 27

Introduced in Senate

INTROREFERRAL

JAN 27

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

INTROREFERRAL

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MORE INFORMATION

Committee Referrals

Commerce, Science, and Transportation CommitteeReferred

Feb 12, 2026

senate

Related Hearings

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Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee (senate)Feb 3, 2026

Video

Business meeting to consider S.71, to require Amtrak to install baby changing tables in bathrooms on passenger rail cars, S.1898, to establish a demonstration program for the active remediation of orbital debris and to require the development of uniform orbital debris standard practices in order to support a safe and sustainable orbital environment, S.2585, to modernize and improve the Broadband Funding Map in order to promote the most efficient use of Federal funds for broadband deployment, S.3199, to establish a multi-stakeholder advisory committee tasked with providing detailed recommendations to address challenges to transmitting geolocation information with calls to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, S.3266, to support the athletic programs of the United States Merchant Marine Academy, S.3468, to establish a national programmable cloud laboratories network to enhance research efficiency, innovation, and collaboration, S.3639, to expedite processing of satellite and space licenses, S.3700, to establish an expert review panel to make recommendations for a comprehensive agency-wide safety management system at the FAA, and routine lists in the Coast Guard; to be immediately followed by a hearing to examine the NTSB final report on the DCA midair collision.

Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee (senate)Feb 12, 2026

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FAA SMS Compliance Review Act of 2026

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

WHAT THE BILL DOES

KEY PROVISIONS

SPONSORSHIP

ACTION TIMELINE

BILL INFO

READER REACTIONS

Discussion

FAA SMS Compliance Review Act of 2026

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

WHAT THE BILL DOES

KEY PROVISIONS

DEADLINES & DATES

GLOSSARY

ACTION TIMELINE

SPONSORS

READER REACTIONS

What do you think?

Discussion

MORE INFORMATION

Committee Referrals

Related Hearings