WASHINGTON, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Two U.S. senators are set

to announce a deal on Thursday on aviation safety legislation

after a fatal January collision involving an American Airlines ( AAL )

regional jet and an Army helicopter that killed 67

people spurred calls for reform, sources told Reuters.

Senate Commerce Committee chair Ted Cruz, a Republican, and

the panel's top Democrat, Maria Cantwell, are nearing a

bipartisan agreement on legislation requiring aircraft operators

to equip their fleets with an advanced aircraft-tracking

technology known as ADS-B by the end of 2031 and other safety

reforms.

The agreement would clear the way for a bipartisan vote by

the committee next week. It is unclear when the U.S. House of

Representatives may take up the bill.

The bill would require the use of ADS-B by military

helicopters near civilian planes and the use of ADS-B for all

civilian aircraft. The helicopter involved in the accident was

not using ADS-B at the time of the January collision near Reagan

Washington National Airport.

It would eliminate exemptions from ADS-B use by military

helicopters for training flights, proficiency flights, and

flights of federal officials below cabinet rank.

The bill is also expected to require comprehensive

nationwide airport safety reviews, not just at Reagan, and to

evaluate risks from military aircraft, helicopters, drones,

emergency first responders, and powered lift operations to

commercial flights.

Lawmakers from both parties and Transportation Secretary

Sean Duffy have questioned why the Federal Aviation

Administration failed to act for years to address close calls

involving military helicopters near Reagan.

The bill also require the Army Inspector General's Office to

initiate a safety coordination audit after it declined to do so

and requires binding memorandums between the FAA and all

military services to share aviation safety information from

military mishap reporting systems.

The FAA in April said it would require ADS-B use near Reagan

National by government helicopters, and in May it barred the

Army from helicopter flights around the Pentagon after a close

call.