# The Brian McDaniel Flight Safety Act

This bill requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to finalize new safety rules for certain airlines and aircraft operators. Specifically, the FAA proposed these new "safety management systems" rules back in January 2023, and this bill is pushing them to make those rules official within six months of the bill becoming law. Think of it like the FAA had a draft of new safety procedures and Congress is saying "finish this and make it binding."

The new rules would apply to several types of aviation operations. This includes regional airlines that fly smaller routes (called commuter and on-demand operators), companies that offer scenic air tours, and manufacturers who build aircraft or license out their designs to other manufacturers. Essentially, these are smaller or more specialized aviation operations that currently don't have the same formal safety management requirements as major airlines. The bill would change that by requiring all these operators to put formal safety management systems in place—organized procedures for identifying risks, preventing accidents, and continuously improving safety practices.

For everyday travelers, this mostly means added safety oversight for smaller airlines and tour operators you might use. For the aviation industry, it means these operators will need to invest in new safety management infrastructure and documentation systems. The practical effect is that flights on regional carriers and air tour companies would operate under more standardized safety protocols, similar to what larger commercial airlines already follow. The bill is named after Brian McDaniel, suggesting it was likely inspired by a specific aviation incident, and the goal is to prevent similar accidents by tightening safety requirements across the board.

Brian McDaniel Flight Safety Act

Allred, Colin Z.

Brian McDaniel Flight Safety Act This bill directs the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue a final rule on safety management systems (SMS) for certain certificate holders and operators. (An SMS is a formal, organization-wide approach to safety risk that includes systematic procedures, practices, and policies.) The FAA issued an SMS notice of proposed rulemaking on January 11, 2023. Specifically, the bill requires the FAA to ensure the final SMS rule applies to all specified certificate holders and operators, including commuter and on-demand operators and commercial air tour operators.