Prohibits divisions of government and private entities from using information broadcast or collected by automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast systems as a means for calculating, generating, and collecting fees from aircraft owners or operators who operate aircraft within the geographic boundaries of the state.
S10490 would add a new section to New York’s General Business Law prohibiting any government entity or private company from using data broadcast or collected through automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) systems to calculate, generate, or collect fees from aircraft owners or operators flying within the state. The bill defines ADS-B and applies to small aircraft operating under federal Part 91 rules with a gross weight of 12,500 pounds or less. It is aimed at preventing the monetization of aircraft location and flight data for fee assessment purposes.
The bill also includes explicit exceptions. It would still allow ADS-B data to be used for air traffic control, aviation safety, search and rescue, accident investigation, law enforcement with a warrant or exigent circumstances, and compliance with federal aviation regulations. The act would take effect on January 1, 2027.
If enacted, the bill would create a new state-law restriction on the use of ADS-B flight data by both public and private actors, limiting how aircraft tracking information can be used in New York for fee collection or similar monetization. It would affect state and local agencies, private vendors, and any other entities that might otherwise rely on ADS-B data to assess charges against aircraft owners or operators. The bill would not bar operational or safety-related uses of the data, and it is framed to avoid conflict with federal aviation requirements.
No committee transcript or vote record is provided, so there is no recorded debate or roll-call history to gauge support or opposition. Based on the bill text, the measure appears to be presented as a privacy- and fee-protection bill for aircraft operators, with a narrow set of safety and enforcement exceptions. The overall framing suggests a consumer- and operator-protective intent rather than a regulatory expansion.
The main point of contention is likely to be whether the state should restrict the use of aircraft surveillance data for fee collection, especially if governments or private entities argue that ADS-B information is useful for enforcing airport-related charges or other assessments. Aviation operators would likely support the restriction as a safeguard against monetization of flight-tracking data, while entities that rely on such data for revenue collection may oppose it. Another possible issue is the scope of the exceptions, particularly the balance between state restrictions and federal aviation authority.