Ted Budd (R-NC)
Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act
A Republican bill with 2 Democratic cosponsors · See all 5 cosponsors
Last activity — Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 694.
Cleared committee, waiting for its first floor vote
A committee approved it and it is on the calendar of the chamber it started in.
This is further than most bills get, and still no promise of a vote: the calendar is a queue, and the majority leadership decides what is called. A bill can sit here until the Congress ends.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- On Calendar
What this bill would do
This bill is known as the Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act. It directs the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to issue a final rule creating a noise-based certification standard for civil supersonic aircraft operation. The Administrator must complete this action not later than 2 years after the date of enactment. When issuing this rule, the Administrator is required to consult with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Additionally, the bill sets limits so that takeoff and landing noise levels for these aircraft do not exceed current subsonic aircraft levels. Finally, the legislation requires the Administrator to establish a process for periodically reviewing and updating these standards over time.
Yes· 3 of 8
- Scored +3
Would business owners be better off under this?
Aviation business owners will benefit from the modernization of flight regulations.
- Scored +3
Is this likely to create jobs?
The expansion of supersonic flight capabilities may stimulate job growth within the aviation and aerospace sectors.
- Scored +2
Is this likely to grow the economy?
Modernizing aviation speed capabilities can contribute to broader economic growth through increased efficiency.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
How the text last changed
Reported to Senate (11/10/2026), compared with Introduced in Senate. Each change is on the Text tab.
The newer version of the bill changes the deadline for the Federal Aviation Administration to act from 1 year to 2 years after enactment, and replaces the instruction to allow supersonic flights without special authorization if no sonic boom reaches the ground with an instruction to issue a final rule creating a noise-based certification standard. This new rule must ensure takeoff and landing noise does not exceed current subsonic levels, include processes for periodic reviews based on future technology and research, and require consultation with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Protection from excessive noise during takeoff and landing: Under Section 2(b)(2)(A), acceptable levels of takeoff and landing noise for supersonic aircraft must not exceed the takeoff and landing noise levels required for subsonic aircraft currently in operation. This is a positive outcome because it ensures that communities near airports will not be subjected to louder noise levels than what they already experience from regular planes.
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Future improvements in noise reduction: Under Section 2(b)(2)(B) and Section 2(b)(3), the Administrator must specify a process for periodically reviewing and updating the standards to reflect future advances in aircraft noise reduction technology, relevant regulatory changes, and research concerning sonic booms. This benefits the public by holding officials accountable to leverage new technology and keep noise limits up to date.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Potential burdens from sonic boom impacts: Under Section 2(b)(3), the process for reviewing and updating the standard involves research and testing concerning the impacts of sonic booms and acceptable levels of sound. Because the text explicitly mentions ongoing research and testing into these impacts, the public could face potential burdens or negative consequences from sonic boom exposure while this research is being conducted, without any guarantees provided in the text as to what the acceptable levels of sound will ultimately be.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — Aviation business owners will benefit from the modernization of flight regulations. Would billionaires be better off under this? — Supersonic travel can increase the efficiency of global movements for very wealthy individuals. Would high-income households be better off under this? — Faster travel times may primarily benefit high-income individuals utilizing premium air travel. Would people with substantial wealth be better off under this? — High-speed travel options provide significant value to high-net-worth travelers. Would the very wealthiest people be better off under this? — The bill facilitates faster transit for those with high mobility requirements.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — The expansion of supersonic flight capabilities may stimulate job growth within the aviation and aerospace sectors. Is this likely to grow the economy? — Modernizing aviation speed capabilities can contribute to broader economic growth through increased efficiency.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill expands the regulatory role of the FAA in national airspace management.
A committee approved it and sent it to the floor
What changed from Introduced in Senate
The newer version of the bill changes the deadline for the Federal Aviation Administration to act from 1 year to 2 years after enactment, and replaces the instruction to allow supersonic flights without special authorization if no sonic boom reaches the ground with an instruction to issue a final rule creating a noise-based certification standard. This new rule must ensure takeoff and landing noise does not exceed current subsonic levels, include processes for periodic reviews based on future technology and research, and require consultation with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Each change
- Added a short title addition in the preamble referring to the Modernization Act.
- Section 2 was removed, which previously required the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to issue or revise regulations within 1 year to allow civil aircraft to operate at a Mach number greater than 1 without special authorization, provided no sonic boom reaches the ground in the United States.
- Section 2 was added to require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to issue a final rule creating a noise-based certification standard for civil supersonic aircraft operation not later than 2 years after enactment.
- Section 2(b)(1) was added to require the Administrator to consult with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration when issuing the final rule.
- Section 2(b)(2)(A) was added to establish standards requiring acceptable takeoff and landing noise levels for authorized operations not to exceed the levels required for currently operating subsonic aircraft.
- Section 2(b)(2)(B) was added to specify a process for periodically reviewing and updating the takeoff and landing noise standards to reflect future noise reduction technology and standards changes.
- Section 2(b)(3) was added to establish a process to periodically review and update the main certification standard to reflect advances in noise reduction technology, research and testing on sonic booms and sound levels, and relevant regulatory changes.
Written by an AI model from a comparison of this version’s text with the one before it, not by a person. .
- 11/10/2026
- Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 119-160.
- Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 694.
- 7/22/2026
- Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- 7/21/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/13/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/14/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- 3 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Michael BennetDemocrat · Colorado
John HickenlooperDemocrat · Colorado
Mike LeeRepublican · Utah
Tim SheehyRepublican · Montana
Thomas TillisRepublican · North Carolina