Congress just introduced a bill that every GA piston pilot needs to understand. On April 29, 2026, Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA) and Jay Obernolte (R-CA) introduced the UNLEADED Act — H.R. 8567 — in the House of Representatives. The full name is the Undoing National Lead Exposure through Authorizing Directed Education from DOT Act. In plain terms, the bill would require the FAA to build a formal education program around general aviation’s transition to unleaded avgas.
Less than four years remain before the EAGLE initiative’s December 31, 2030 deadline. Most piston pilots still can’t answer a basic question: which unleaded fuel is actually approved for my airplane, and where do I buy it? The UNLEADED Act targets that gap directly. It’s not a mandate to switch fuels. It’s a mandate to make sure pilots have the information they need to make that switch safely and legally.
What the UNLEADED Act Requires of the FAA
The bill directs the FAA to create a formal education program focused on unleaded avgas. It must cover compatibility and availability of unleaded fuels with GA aircraft engines. It requires the FAA to publish clear information on what certifications pilots and operators need to legally use each approved fuel. The bill also directs the FAA to coordinate annual training for FBO personnel who handle and dispense unleaded avgas — a group that has received almost no formal guidance to date.
That last point matters more than it sounds. If the person pumping fuel at your FBO doesn’t understand the difference between G100UL and UL94 — or doesn’t even know both products exist — you’ve got a problem before you ever start your preflight.
Here’s Exactly What the FAA Would Have to Build
H.R. 8567 requires the FAA to make the education program available to flight instructors and flight schools — not just individual pilots. That’s the right call. If your CFI doesn’t know which fuels are approved under which STCs, students never get that information during training. The bill also mandates a publicly accessible registry tracking all unleaded avgas products currently undergoing FAA authorization — which fuels are approved, which are pending, and which are still under evaluation.
If you’ve ever tried to research this topic yourself, you know how scattered the information is right now. Between GAMI’s AML STC PDFs, FAA docket filings, ASTM notices, and FBO word-of-mouth, getting a reliable answer can take hours of digging. This registry alone would be a massive upgrade over what exists today.
The bill also requires the FAA to coordinate with fuel producers and industry partners on recurring training programs. The goal is one consistent stream of accurate information flowing from regulators through FBOs and flight schools down to the pilot community. That chain does not exist in any organized form right now.
Congress Gets Periodic Updates — Meaning the FAA Can’t Sit On This
The bill establishes a congressional accountability mechanism. The FAA would provide periodic briefings to relevant House and Senate committees covering program status, fuel approval progress, and real-world usage trends. As of today, most GA pilots have zero visibility into how the national transition is actually progressing. This provision creates public pressure — and history shows the FAA moves faster when it knows Congress is watching the scoreboard.
The bill was referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure after its April 29 introduction. That’s the expected first step and kicks off the formal legislative review process.
100LL and the Problem This Bill Tries to Solve
General aviation has run on 100LL — 100 low-lead avgas — for decades. 100LL contains tetraethyllead (TEL), an additive that raises octane for high-compression piston engines. TEL is a known neurotoxin. Lead emissions from piston aircraft are now the single largest remaining source of airborne lead in the United States. The EPA has been pushing the FAA to act for years. California fought this in court. The EAGLE initiative — Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions — formed as a government-industry coalition targeting a full lead phase-out by December 31, 2030.
The Health Data That Made Congress Pay Attention
EPA data shows communities near general aviation airports carry disproportionate lead exposure risk. Children living within a mile of busy GA airports consistently show elevated blood lead levels in federal health studies. That data made the political case for action impossible to ignore. In January 2026, the FAA released its draft transition plan — a phased approach from current fuel approvals through full national switchover. Stage 1 covers approvals and data collection. Stage 2 expands operational use. Stage 3 executes the nationwide transition. Stage 4 addresses Alaska on an extended timeline.
The draft transition plan is real progress. But it describes regulatory mechanics — it doesn’t solve the communication problem. Pilots don’t know which fuels work in their planes. FBOs don’t know how to stock or label new fuels. Flight schools haven’t updated their curricula. The UNLEADED Act goes after that gap directly, requiring the FAA to build the information system the transition actually needs to work.
The EAGLE initiative’s own research found that pilots consistently cite two barriers to adopting unleaded fuels: uncertainty about compatibility with their specific aircraft, and uncertainty about where to buy the fuel. Those are information problems. They’re solvable — but only with coordinated effort and a centralized source of truth. The FAA hasn’t built that yet. The bill’s mandate would force it.
Here’s a concrete example of how this plays out. A pilot in suburban Atlanta wants to know if his 1978 Piper Arrow can run on G100UL. He checks his aircraft’s TCDS. It lists 100/130 avgas as approved — which 100LL replaced. He pulls up GAMI’s AML STC list, a 40-page PDF last updated six months ago. His engine is a Lycoming IO-360. It looks covered, but he’s not certain about his specific serial number range. He calls his A&P, who hasn’t followed the latest STC updates. The A&P says, “Stick with 100LL for now.” That pilot never switches — not because G100UL won’t work in his plane, but because the information was fragmented and too hard to act on with confidence.
Multiply that across 200,000 active piston aircraft and you have a national transition problem that no regulatory framework alone can solve.
Why This Bill Matters Even If It Never Passes
Our take: this bill matters whether it becomes law or not. The fact that two representatives from opposite parties looked at GA’s lead transition and both concluded “pilots don’t have the information they need” — that’s a real signal. We’ve been saying this at E3 for years. You can build a perfect regulatory timeline and it means nothing if the pilot community doesn’t know what’s actually approved for their specific airplane and engine combination.
The bipartisan sponsorship here is genuine. Beyer is a Democrat. Obernolte is a Republican. Both represent states with documented lead exposure concerns near airports and active GA communities who are frustrated by how hard it is to get clear answers. That’s not political theater. That’s constituent pressure — and constituent pressure is exactly what moves a federal agency.
Even in a slow legislative session, a bipartisan bill with AOPA and EAGLE backing has a real path. If it passes, every flight school, every FBO, and every GA pilot benefits from a more organized national information system around the lead-free transition. That outcome is worth pushing for.
The Unleaded Fuels Available Right Now
The UNLEADED Act addresses the information side of the transition. Meanwhile, several approved unleaded fuel products already exist — and pilots can use them today in compatible aircraft. Here’s where each one stands.
G100UL from GAMI: The Only Approved Option for High-Compression Engines
G100UL is the unleaded avgas developed by General Aviation Modifications Inc. It holds an FAA-approved AML STC covering nearly all spark-ignition piston aircraft engines in the FAA database. That approval makes G100UL compatible with high-compression engines that can’t run on lower-octane alternatives — the Lycomings and Continentals in Bonanzas, Mooneys, turbocharged Cessnas, and similar high-performance singles and twins. G100UL is currently the only approved unleaded option for those aircraft. Nothing else in the pipeline qualifies yet.
The problem is availability. As of May 2026, G100UL is sold at airports in California, Oklahoma, and Mississippi. Distribution expands through a partnership with Avfuel Corporation, but the pace has been slow. Pricing runs approximately $0.70 to $1.05 more per gallon than 100LL — putting G100UL in the $7.00 to $8.00 range at current market prices. A legal dispute complicated G100UL’s momentum in 2025, but the fuel remains fully certified and commercially available.
For pilots flying out of a California, Oklahoma, or Mississippi base, the decision is straightforward. Verify your STC coverage on GAMI’s website, confirm availability at your home FBO, and weigh the cost premium against the benefits of running a proven, lead-free option. For pilots based elsewhere, G100UL at an unfamiliar destination is still unlikely in 2026. Call ahead before routing to a new field expecting unleaded at the pump.
UL94 from Swift Fuels: Wider Distribution, But Know the Limits
Swift Fuels’ UL94 is the more widely distributed unleaded option. The FAA has authorized it for use in over 130,000 aircraft — roughly 66% of the U.S. piston fleet. Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (KBJC) added UL94 in February 2026, continuing a distribution push that now reaches California, Colorado, and other states. Swift also recently expanded to several airports in Los Angeles and San Mateo counties.
Know the tradeoff: UL94’s motor octane number (94.0 minimum) falls below 100LL’s requirement (99.6 minimum). UL94 does not work in high-compression engines requiring 100-octane fuel — period. Before switching, verify your aircraft’s STC and check the current authorized engine and airframe list. If your POH lists 100/130 or 100LL as required fuel, get written confirmation from an A&P before putting UL94 in your tanks. Don’t guess on this one.
UL100E: The Newest 100-Octane Option Moving Through Certification
UL100E is a third unleaded option advancing through the certification pipeline. In January 2026, ASTM International granted UL100E a formal fuel specification — a critical milestone toward broader FAA approval. UL100E targets the same high-octane applications as G100UL, and its progress adds real competition to that segment of the market. More competition means more pressure on distribution and, eventually, better pricing for pilots.
The bill’s proposed FAA registry would give pilots a clear, current place to track UL100E’s approval status as it moves forward. Right now, tracking it means monitoring multiple industry newsletters and FAA dockets separately — exactly the kind of fragmented research burden the UNLEADED Act is designed to eliminate.
What This Means for Your Aircraft Right Now
The UNLEADED Act is a bill, not a law. It starts in committee. Any resulting FAA education program is realistically 12 to 24 months away, even under an optimistic timeline.
Meanwhile, 2030 keeps getting closer. Here’s what you can do today.
How to Check If Your Aircraft Can Use Unleaded Fuel Today
Start with your aircraft’s Type Certificate Data Sheet (TCDS). The TCDS lists approved fuels for your engine. If your TCDS allows grades below 100LL, UL94 may be an option. For G100UL, check GAMI’s published AML STC list — it covers specific airframe and engine combinations by serial number range. The EAGLE initiative website at flyeagle.org maintains transition resources, though the information there is less comprehensive than what H.R. 8567 would require the FAA to build. AOPA provides additional research tools and transition guidance for member pilots.
The bottom line: verify through official FAA documentation or a certified A&P before fueling with anything other than 100LL. Engine incompatibility is not a problem you want to discover at altitude.
Finding G100UL Unleaded Fuel Airports Near Your Home Base
We’ll be straight with you: the current state of unleaded fuel availability is a mess. Finding G100UL or UL94 at a destination you don’t regularly fly to is still mostly luck in 2026. FBOs update their own fuel listings on their own schedule — which means inconsistently, and not often. The tools that exist (AirNav, 100LL.com) are better than nothing, but they’re not reliable enough to count on without a phone call.
Call ahead. Confirm by phone before you depart. Don’t show up expecting unleaded and get surprised. That’s not a knock on the fuel products — G100UL and UL94 are both proven, certified options. It’s a knock on the complete absence of a centralized, FAA-maintained information system. Which is exactly what this legislation is trying to fix.
Swift Fuels lists its UL94 distribution partners at swiftfuelsavgas.com. GAMI maintains an airport finder for G100UL at g100ul.com. Both are useful starting points. Neither is the real-time, authoritative database the UNLEADED Act envisions building. That’s precisely the gap the bill targets.
What Comes Next for the UNLEADED Act
The bill’s path through Congress is uncertain, as most legislation is. Bipartisan sponsorship improves the odds meaningfully. Both Beyer and Obernolte represent districts with documented lead exposure concerns near airports and large GA communities who want clearer answers about the transition. That creates genuine constituent pressure — not just good optics.
For Beyer’s northern Virginia constituents near Dulles, Leesburg, and Manassas Regional, the health data is local and personal. For Obernolte’s Southern California district, California’s aggressive regulatory pressure on lead emissions makes passage a real priority. These aren’t symbolic co-sponsors — both have direct accountability to voters who care about this issue and want results.
The Groups Already Lined Up Behind This Bill
AOPA, EAA, and the EAGLE coalition have all advocated for better pilot education and more transparent FAA communication around the lead-free transition. They’re natural allies for everything this bill requires. The aviation advocacy community is well-organized on Capitol Hill, and legislation with this level of industry alignment has a better-than-average shot at advancing through committee review — even in a slow session.
Even if the bill doesn’t pass in its current form, its introduction marks a real shift. Congress is paying attention to the communication failure in GA’s lead-free transition. That attention increases the likelihood the FAA acts — either under a legislative mandate or proactively to get ahead of the pressure.
Where This Bill Fits Into the Full 2030 Picture
Think of the 2030 transition in three layers. The FAA’s draft transition plan provides the regulatory framework. The EAGLE initiative provides government-industry coordination. The UNLEADED Act would add the congressional education mandate. Together, those three layers form a more complete response to the transition challenge than any single piece does on its own. With four years left before the deadline, the window for building the education infrastructure is now — not 2028.
Watch for committee action on H.R. 8567 over the coming months. If the bill advances, it sets a real implementation timeline. If it stalls, expect advocacy groups to push directly on the FAA — and expect a revised bill in the next Congress. Either way, the lead-free transition is accelerating. The pilots who understand the approved fuel options and the regulatory landscape will be ahead of the curve when their FBO finally adds that second pump.
Frequently Asked Questions About the UNLEADED Act
What is the UNLEADED Act and what would it actually do?
H.R. 8567 is a bipartisan bill introduced April 29, 2026, by Reps. Beyer and Obernolte. It would require the FAA to create a formal education program covering unleaded avgas compatibility, availability, and certification requirements. Specifically, it mandates a public registry of approved and pending unleaded fuels, annual FBO training, education access for flight schools and instructors, and regular congressional briefings on the transition’s progress.
What unleaded avgas can I legally use in my piston aircraft right now?
That depends on your specific aircraft and engine. UL94 from Swift Fuels covers roughly 66% of the U.S. piston fleet — primarily lower-compression engines. G100UL from GAMI covers nearly the full fleet via an AML STC, including high-compression engines requiring 100-octane fuel. UL100E is advancing through certification but is not yet broadly available. Check your TCDS, review the applicable STC, and confirm with your A&P before switching. Never assume fuel compatibility from a single internet source.
Will the lead-free avgas transition affect my aircraft’s resale value or insurance?
Not immediately. There is no mandate in place requiring aircraft modifications before 2030. However, as 100LL availability tightens in the years ahead, aircraft approved for G100UL or UL94 without additional STC costs will likely carry a practical advantage. Insurance underwriters have not yet moved to penalize 100LL-only aircraft, but that calculus will change as the deadline approaches. The smart move is to verify your aircraft’s approved unleaded fuel options now, while the decision is cost-free.
The UNLEADED Act represents the clearest congressional signal yet that GA’s transition to lead-free avgas needs more than regulatory milestones — it needs a national education system pilots can actually use. Whether H.R. 8567 becomes law or not, the conversation it starts matters. Stay current on E3 Aviation Association’s aviation articles for ongoing coverage of the lead-free transition, FAA regulatory updates, and all the GA news that affects your flying. You can also find in-depth aviation content on the E3 Aviation Association YouTube channel.
