Mental Health in Aviation Act of 2025
Officially: “Mental Health in Aviation Act of 2025” Read the full text
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1Short title
This section would let this Act be referred to as the Mental Health in Aviation Act of 2025.
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1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Mental Health in Aviation Act of 2025 .
2Regulations for individuals carrying out aviation activities
Not later than 2 years after this Act is enacted, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration would have to update regulations, including part 67 of title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations as appropriate, and take any other necessary actions to carry out the recommendations of the aviation workforce mental health task group established under section 411(d) of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. The purpose would be to encourage individuals to seek help for mental health conditions or symptoms of mental health conditions and to disclose those conditions or symptoms. In doing this work, the task group would have to consult with relevant stakeholders from the aviation and medical communities, as necessary, including the certified exclusive bargaining representatives of the FAA's air traffic controllers certified under section 7111 of title 5, United States Code; the principal organization representing the largest certified collective bargaining representative of airline pilots; aviation medical examiners as described in section 183.21 of title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations; and any other stakeholder the task group determines relevant, including stakeholders described in section 411(d)(3)(B) of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. This section would also add to the reporting requirement in section 411(d)(4) of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (Public Law 118-63): the report required under that section would additionally have to include a review and evaluation of any recommendations reached by the National Transportation Safety Board related to aviation workforce mental health, and a description of relevant clinical studies, research, diagnostic manuals, and protocols used by licensed professionals as of the date this Act is enacted.
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2. Regulations for individuals carrying out aviation activities (a) In general Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall update regulations, including in part 67 of title 14 of Code of Federal Regulations, as appropriate, and take any other actions necessary to implement the recommendations of the aviation workforce mental health task group established under section 411(d) the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 to encourage individuals to— (1) seek help for mental health conditions or symptoms of mental health conditions; and (2) to disclose conditions or symptoms described in paragraph (1). (b) Consultation In carrying out this section, the task group described in subsection (a) shall consult with relevant stakeholders from the aviation and medical communities, as necessary, including— (1) the certified exclusive bargaining representatives of air traffic controllers of the Administration certified under section 7111 of title 5, United States Code; (2) the principal organization representing the largest certified collective bargaining representative of airline pilots; (3) aviation medical examiners, as described in section 183.21 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations; and (4) any other stakeholder determined relevant by the task group, including any stakeholders described in section 411(d)(3)(B) of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. (c) Report requirements Section 411(d)(4) of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 ( Public Law 118–63 ) is amended— (1) in subparagraph (B) by striking and at the end; (2) in subparagraph (C) by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (D) a review and evaluation of any recommendations reached by the National Transportation Safety Board related to aviation workforce mental health; and (E) a description of relevant clinical studies, research, diagnostic manuals, and protocols used by the licensed professionals as of the date of enactment of this Act. .
3Annual review of mental health special issuance process
The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration would have to conduct an annual review of, and update as appropriate, the applicable regulations and policies on the mental health-related special issuance process for pilots and air traffic controllers. The review would need to reclassify and approve additional medications that may be safely prescribed to airmen to treat mental health conditions; improve mental health knowledge and training for aviation medical examiners; if the Administrator determines it appropriate, delegate additional authority to aviation medical examiners consistent with the recommendation of the Mental Health Aviation Rulemaking Committee described in section 5 of this Act; and improve the special issuance process for pilots and air traffic controllers.
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3. Annual review of mental health special issuance process The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall conduct an annual review, and update, as appropriate, the applicable regulations and policies, on mental health-related special issuance for pilots and air traffic controllers to— (1) reclassify and approve additional medications that may be safely prescribed to airmen to treat mental health conditions; (2) improve mental health knowledge and training for aviation medical examiners; (3) if the Administrator determines appropriate, delegate additional authority to aviation medical examiners consistent with the recommendation of the Mental Health Aviation Rulemaking Committee described in section 5; and (4) improve the special issuance process for pilots and air traffic controllers.
4Authorization of appropriation for additional aviation medical examiners
This section would authorize $13,740,000 to be appropriated to the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029. The funds would be used to recruit, select, train, and delegate the necessary authorities to additional aviation medical examiners and human intervention motivation study aviation medical examiners, including those who are psychiatrists; to expand capacity to provide oversight of aviation medical examiners and clear the backlog of special issuance requests and cases awaiting review at the Office of Aerospace Medicine; and to support any other related activities the Administrator determines appropriate.
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4. Authorization of appropriation for additional aviation medical examiners There is authorized to be appropriated $13,740,000 to the Administrator for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029 to— (1) recruit, select, train, and delegate the necessary authorities to additional aviation medical examiners and human intervention motivation study aviation medical examiners, including those who are psychiatrists; (2) expand capacity to provide oversight of aviation medical examiners and clear the backlog of special issuance requests and cases awaiting review at the Office of Aerospace Medicine; and (3) support any other related activities, as determined by the Administrator.
5Implementation of aviation rulemaking committee recommendations
Not later than 2 years after this Act is enacted, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration would have to implement the recommendations of the Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee, which were submitted to the Administrator on April 1, 2024. Subject to section 2 of this Act, the Administrator would have to consult with parties involved in that implementation.
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5. Implementation of aviation rulemaking committee recommendations (a) In general Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall implement the recommendations of the Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee which were submitted to the Administrator on April 1, 2024. (b) Consultation Subject to section 2, the Administrator shall consult with parties in the implementation described in subsection (a).
6Public information campaign
This section would authorize $1,500,000 to be appropriated to the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029 for a public information campaign or similar public education effort. The campaign would aim to destigmatize individuals in, or interested in joining, the aviation industry who seek mental health care, to broaden awareness of available supportive services, and to establish trust with pilots and air traffic controllers. Not later than 1 year after the Administrator creates this public information campaign, the Administrator would have to submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report describing the actions taken to develop the campaign and the plans for implementing it.
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6. Public information campaign (a) In general There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration $1,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029 for a public information campaign or similar public education efforts to destigmatize individuals in (or interested in joining) the aviation industry who seek mental health care, to broaden awareness of available supportive services, and establish trust with pilots and air traffic controllers. (b) Report Not later than 1 year after the Administrator creates the public information campaign described in subsection (a), the Administrator shall submit to appropriate committees of Congress a report describing the actions taken to develop such campaign and the plans for implementation.
7Definitions
This section would define appropriate committees of Congress to mean the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. It would define special issuance to have the meaning given that term in section 67.401 of title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
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7. Definitions In this Act: (1) Appropriate committees of Congress The term appropriate committees of Congress means— (A) the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives; and (B) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. (2) Special issuance The term special issuance has the meaning given the term in section 67.401 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations.
Where it is
In the House.