Florida lawmakers back ban on ADS-B billing

The Florida House of Representatives passed S.B.422 on March 10, after it passed the Senate in February.

“We’re grateful to Senator Tom Wright and Representatives Doug Bankson and Kim Kendall, who introduced this important legislation and recognized what’s at stake here. Not only will this go a long way to protect the privacy of pilots, but it also ensures this safety-enhancing tool is only used for its intended purpose,” said AOPA Southern Regional Manager Stacey Heaton.

The Florida bill’s passage comes as similar bills gain support and momentum in Congress, which is now considering the Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act, in other state capitols, and among top aviation safety officials.

“ADS-B data should never be used for accessing a pilot’s personal information or for being used as a cash register. It should be used for its intended purpose—to give pilots situational awareness to help avoid midair collisions and for controllers to create airspace efficiencies. When the nation’s leading transportation safety expert, state legislatures, airports, companies, and hundreds of thousands of pilots all support PAPA, it’s time to address this situation,” said AOPA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Advocacy Jim Coon.

“It’s also important to point out that none of these bills—at the federal or state level—would prevent an airport from charging ‘necessary and appropriate’ landing fees; anyone claiming that is just spreading misinformation. They simply block the use of this safety-enhancing tool to collect them,” added Coon. “In light of the DCA accident last year, Congress is debating an ADS-B mandate. That safety goal is undermined as long as this safety tool is being used for collecting fees and not enhancing safety.”

In addition to prohibiting the use of ADS-B data to assist in the collection of fees, the PAPA bill (H.R.4146 and S.2175) would also:

• Clarify that ADS-B data may only be used for its intended purposes of air traffic safety and efficiency.
• Expand a provision in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 that would effectively ban any government official from initiating a noncriminal investigation based solely on ADS-B data.
• Ensure airports are transparent about proposed fees and their intended purpose.

In addition to the Florida bill being passed by the legislature, Montana became the first state to ban the collection of ADS-B-based fees from most general aviation pilots in May 2025. Lawmakers in more than a dozen other states, including Arizona, Oklahoma, and Minnesota, have introduced or are considering introducing similar bills.

“We are grateful to state lawmakers across the country who recognize the importance of this issue, and its impact on aviation safety. Despite the state-level momentum, a patchwork solution isn’t enough to make the skies safer for all of us—only Congress can fully resolve this problem with a uniform law for all states,” said Coon.

Airports in a number of states—including Illinois, Massachusetts, Florida, New Jersey, California, and Ohio, among others—have also endorsed PAPA.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said the practice “should be prohibited” at a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing on February 12.

“ADS-B is a safety tool, and it should be used for safety, not as a revenue generator to charge general aviation pilots ramp fees or landing fees,” said Homendy, adding that ADS-B-derived fees could discourage pilots from installing or using the technology.

“There is no question that ADS-B has been a gamechanger for general aviation pilots,” said AOPA Air Safety Institute Senior Vice President Mike Ginter. “While we’re in one of the safest periods for general aviation in our nation’s history, there is a lot of concern out there that the continued use of ADS-B to charge fees would reverse that trend.”