S0422 creates a new section of Florida Statutes governing the use of automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data by airports. The bill defines key terms, including aircraft covered by the law, ADS-B technology, and touch-and-go landings, and then prohibits airports from using ADS-B information—whether from ADS-B In or ADS-B Out—to calculate, generate, or collect fees from aircraft owners or operators in certain situations.
The restriction applies when the fee would be tied to a departure or landing, including touch-and-go operations, or when the fee is based on an aircraft entering a specified radius of the airport’s airspace. The bill is aimed at preventing airports from using surveillance data as a billing tool for these types of operations. It takes effect July 1, 2026.
Impact
The bill limits airport authority in Florida by barring the use of ADS-B data for fee assessment in specified circumstances, which affects airport operators, aircraft owners, and pilots of qualifying aircraft operating under federal Part 91 rules. It creates a new statutory prohibition in chapter 330, Florida Statutes, and may constrain airport revenue practices that rely on aircraft tracking or proximity data to charge landing, departure, or airspace-based fees.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad support overall, passing Senate committees unanimously or near-unanimously and clearing the full Senate and House with large margins. The final floor votes show only a small number of dissenting votes, suggesting general agreement with the bill’s consumer- and pilot-protective purpose. The available record does not include committee transcript debate, so the public rationale is inferred mainly from the vote pattern and the bill’s text.
Contention
The main point of contention is the bill’s restriction on how airports may use ADS-B data to generate fees, which could be opposed by airports or local aviation authorities that view such data as useful for enforcing or expanding fee structures. Supporters likely include general aviation interests, aircraft owners, and pilots who may object to being charged based on surveillance-derived data, especially for touch-and-go landings or airspace entry. The narrow dissent in committee and on the floor suggests limited but present disagreement over airport revenue authority versus privacy and fairness concerns.
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 67, Chapter 6, Part 3, relative to exemption from sales and use tax on aircraft repair services and parts.