An Act relative to public safety around hospitals with air emergency helipads

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Dan Sena

Bans non-emergency flight training within 2 NM of hospital helipads and requires overflight no lower than 2,000 ft AGL, protecting patients and staff.

Summary: House Docket No. 121 — An Act relative to public safety around hospitals with air emergency helipads

Purpose and intent

This proposed Massachusetts bill aims to enhance public safety around hospitals that have air emergency helipads by restricting certain flight training activities near those helipads. The core idea is to reduce risk to hospital operations, patients, and personnel by limiting non-emergency training maneuvers in the vicinity of hospital helipads and by imposing higher minimum altitudes for overflights in those areas.

Key provisions

Notwithstanding any general or special law or regulation, non-emergency aircraft flight training maneuvers are prohibited within a 2 nautical mile (NM) radius of hospital helipads in the commonwealth.

Prohibited maneuvers include simulated landings, practice approaches, turns about a point, power-off turns, and related flight training activities.

Overflights within this 2 NM zone may not descend below 2,000 feet above ground level (AGL).

Private flight schools and recreational pilots are explicitly discouraged from treating these locations as appropriate areas to concentrate maneuvers due to public safety concerns.

Who/what is affected

Non-emergency flight training operators (e.g., flight schools) and students conducting training near hospital helipads.

Private flight schools and recreational pilots operating within Massachusetts.

Hospitals with air emergency helipads and surrounding airspace, which may benefit from reduced training-related air traffic near critical operations.

The broader general aviation community in proximity to hospital heliport facilities.

Geographic and operational scope

Applies within a 2 NM radius of hospital helipads in Massachusetts.

Applies to non-emergency flight training activities, with a specified altitude floor for overflights (no lower than 2,000 ft AGL inside the restricted zone).

Enforceability and penalties

The bill states a broad prohibition but does not (in the provided text) specify penalties or enforcement mechanisms. It references overriding other laws, indicating it would be implementable within the existing regulatory framework if enacted, but no specific fines or penalties are listed in the text provided.

Procedural status and timeline

Bill Number: HD 121 (House Docket No. 121).

Introduced: November 29, 2025.

Filed: January 6, 2025 (House No. 2697), presented by Rep. Danillo A. Sena.

Related filing: Similar matter previously filed as House No. 2400 in the 2023-2024 session.

Legislative status in this excerpt is “proposed bill”; no enacted status is provided. It is part of the 194th Massachusetts General Court (2025-2026) pending consideration, likely referred to relevant committees for discussion and potential amendments.

Potential impact

Improves safety around hospital heliports by reducingtraining-related flight activity and keeping training flights at higher altitudes near critical medical facilities.

Could affect training schedules and routing for flight schools operating near hospitals, necessitating adjustments to flight plans and airspace considerations.

May prompt discussions about enforcement, exemptions, or coordination with aviation authorities to balance safety with training needs.