Mental Health in Aviation Act

Summary#

This bill directs the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to update rules and guidance about mental health for people who do aviation work, such as pilots and air traffic controllers. Within 2 years the FAA must update regulations (including part 67 of title 14, CFR) to encourage people to seek help and to disclose mental health conditions. The bill requires the FAA to consult specified aviation and medical stakeholders and to include certain items in task-group reports, such as National Transportation Safety Board recommendations and relevant clinical studies. The FAA must act on report recommendations within 180 days or explain to Congress why it did not.

The bill requires an annual review of the special issuance process for mental-health-related medical certification, starting 180 days after the first FAA report. That review may consider reclassifying medications and treatments, improving training for aviation medical examiners (AMEs), and expanding situations where an AME may issue a certificate. The bill also directs the FAA to implement recommendations from a Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee within 2 years, or notify Congress with a justification for not doing so.

The bill sets aside funding from amounts made available under 49 U.S.C. 106(k)(1): up to $15,000,000 per year for fiscal years 2026–2029 to recruit and train additional AMEs, clear backlogs, and expand oversight and training; and up to $1,500,000 per year for fiscal years 2026–2029 for a public information campaign to reduce stigma, share supportive-service information, and improve trust between the FAA and airmen. The campaign must publish information online and at AME offices, collaborate with carriers, flight training institutions, and airports, and report back to Congress on outreach and feedback.

What it means for you#

• Pilots and air traffic controllers: The bill aims to make it easier to seek mental health care and report conditions. Medical certification rules and the special issuance process may change over time.
• Aviation medical examiners: The FAA will fund recruitment and training and may expand the situations in which AMEs can issue certificates.
• Employers, flight schools, and airports: You may be asked to help share public information materials and work with the FAA on outreach.
• General public: The bill aims to improve oversight and the FAA's handling of mental-health-related certification for aviation safety.

Expenses#

• Designates up to $15,000,000 per fiscal year for 2026–2029 for the Office of Aerospace Medicine to hire, train, expand oversight, and address special issuance backlogs (from amounts under 49 U.S.C. 106(k)(1)).
• Designates up to $1,500,000 per fiscal year for 2026–2029 for a public information campaign (from amounts under 49 U.S.C. 106(k)(1)).
• Any other budgetary effects or total costs beyond these specified amounts: No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

The bill’s text states goals to encourage people in aviation to seek help and disclose mental health conditions, reduce stigma, broaden awareness of support services, improve trust between the FAA and aviation personnel, update medical certification processes, and strengthen training and capacity for aviation medical examiners. It directs the FAA to implement or explain nonimplementation of task-group and rulemaking committee recommendations.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.