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HR 5851 119th Congress House Transportation and Public Works

Keep America Flying Act of 2026

Introduced: October 28, 2025 Introduced by: James, John Republican · Michigan See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Oct 28, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Appropriations.
Oct 28, 2025
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Keep America Flying Act of 2026

This bill provides continuing appropriations to pay air traffic controllers, other essential Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees, and certain Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees during the period in which interim or full-year appropriations for FY2026 are not in effect (i.e., the government shutdown).

Specifically, the bill provides FY2026 continuing appropriations to pay and provide benefits to

  • air traffic controllers and other FAA essential operational personnel whose services are required for the safe and orderly operation of the national airspace system; and
  • TSA employees engaged in screening operations, aviation security duties, or related mission-support functions necessary to carry out security screening.

The bill also provides appropriations for payments to FAA and TSA contractors who are providing support to these employees.

The bill provides the continuing appropriations until the earlier of (1) the enactment into law of specified appropriations legislation, or (2) September 30, 2026. 

The bill must take effect as if it had been enacted on September 30, 2025. 

What's happening now October 28, 2025

Referred to the House Committee on Appropriations.

 Related & companion bills 1
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Lobbying activity 14

Registered lobbyists who named this bill in their disclosure filings. Source: federal Lobbying Disclosure Act filings.

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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 5851: Keep America Flying Act of 2026. 119th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-5851/
MLA
"H.R. 5851: Keep America Flying Act of 2026." 119th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-5851/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 5851, 119th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-5851/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 5851: Keep America Flying Act of 2026](https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-5851/)
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