Improving Helicopter Safety Act of 2025
The Improving Helicopter Safety Act of 2025 would create a new prohibition on civil helicopter flights within a 20-mile “covered airspace” around the Statue of Liberty National Monument. The ban would take effect no later than 60 days after enactment, with narrowly defined exceptions for public health and safety activities (including law enforcement, emergency and disaster response, medical services, and certain news or research operations) and for heavy-lift flights related to infrastructure maintenance. The Federal Aviation Administration would be required to issue or update regulations within 90 days to implement these provisions. The bill also adds a new section to Title 49, United States Code, and clarifies the relevant regulatory framework. In short, the bill aims to curb helicopter traffic near the Statue of Liberty to improve safety, while allowing specific safety, public-interest, and essential infrastructure operations.
Key Points
- 1Prohibition: Civil helicopter flights are banned in the “covered airspace” defined as the airspace within a 20-mile radius of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, effective within 60 days of enactment.
- 2Exceptions: The ban does not apply to flights for public health and safety (including law enforcement, emergency and disaster response, medical services, and certain public-interest flights by news organizations or for research) or to heavy-lift flights needed for construction and infrastructure maintenance.
- 3Covered airspace: The term means airspace within a 20-mile radius of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.
- 4FAA rulemaking: Within 90 days of enactment, the FAA Administrator must issue or update regulations to carry out the prohibition and exemptions.
- 5Legislative housekeeping: The bill adds a new section (44749) to Chapter 447 of Title 49 and amends the table of sections accordingly.