This bill mandates a study on the challenges and recommendations for digitizing aviation supply chain documentation to combat counterfeit parts and ensure safety.
Brad Knott
Representative
NC-13
The Aviation Supply Chain Safety and Security Digitization Act of 2025 mandates a study on the obstacles preventing the aviation industry from adopting digital documentation and verification tools. This effort aims to enhance the integrity of aerospace parts documentation to combat falsified paperwork and counterfeit components. The resulting report will provide Congress with recommendations for accelerating the industry-wide transition to digital records and authentication methods.
New Aviation Bill Demands Study on Ditching Paperwork to Fight Counterfeit Parts
The Aviation Supply Chain Safety and Security Digitization Act of 2025 is less about immediate changes and more about a major policy reconnaissance mission. Simply put, this bill says: Stop using paper and start using computers to track crucial airplane parts. It mandates that the Comptroller General (the head of the Government Accountability Office, or GAO) conduct a deep-dive study on why the aviation industry and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) haven’t fully switched to digital documentation for aircraft parts.
The Paper Trail Problem
When a part is installed on an aircraft—whether it’s a massive engine component or a small sensor—it comes with a certification form, often the FAA Form 8130-3. This paper trail is supposed to guarantee the part’s authenticity and history. The problem is that paper forms are easy to fake, leading to counterfeit or unapproved parts entering the supply chain—a huge safety risk. This bill is trying to find the roadblocks to using digital, verifiable documents instead, which are much harder to falsify.
Why Can’t We Just Go Digital?
The study, which must be completed within one year of the bill becoming law (SEC. 2), focuses on the practical hurdles of modernization. It asks why manufacturers, repair shops, airlines, and even aircraft lessors are still struggling to adopt digital authorized release certificates and digital verification tools. For a small repair station, the challenge might be the cost of new software or training; for a massive global airline, it might be integrating systems across dozens of countries. The study will specifically look at the difficulties the FAA itself faces in moving from legacy paper-based records and physical signatures to a fully digital system.
Recommendations for the Fast Lane
This isn't just an academic exercise. The Comptroller General’s final report must include specific, actionable recommendations. These recommendations need to cover how to encourage every organization in the aviation supply chain—from the small machine shop to the largest manufacturer—to adopt digital forms and authentication tools. They also need to suggest ways to speed up the FAA's own transition to digital documentation. Think of this as the government asking, “What specific policy changes, funding, or rule adjustments do we need to make to finally kill the paper certificate?”
What This Means for You
While this bill doesn't change anything for passengers or pilots today, the long-term impact is significant. If successful, this digital shift will make the aviation supply chain safer by making it much harder for counterfeit parts to slip through the cracks. For the people working in the aviation industry—the mechanics, the parts brokers, and the quality assurance teams—it means an eventual move away from shuffling paper forms and toward more secure, efficient digital records. The fact that the Department of Transportation must formally respond to the recommendations within 120 days shows this study is intended to be a direct pipeline to future policy changes designed to modernize and secure air travel.