Hoeven, Duckworth Secure Senate Commerce Committee Approval for Mental Health in Aviation Act

Hoeven, Duckworth Secure Senate Commerce Committee Approval for Mental Health in Aviation Act

WASHINGTON - Senators John Hoeven and Tammy Duckworth today announced unanimous approval by the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee for the Mental Health in Aviation Act. This bipartisan legislation, which modernizes the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) approach to mental health and medical certification, will now move to the full Senate for consideration.

"Our pilots, air traffic controllers and aviation professionals need to maintain their mental health in order to do their jobs and keep the traveling public safe," said Hoeven. "The Mental Health in Aviation Act will address mental health challenges in the aviation industry, promote early intervention, provide additional resources to the FAA's Office of Aerospace Medicine, and support the well-being of aviation professionals and the overall safety of our skies. We appreciate the support of the Commerce Committee in advancing our legislation to the full Senate, where we will continue our efforts to secure passage of this legislation."

"Our aviation system depends on the well-being of our pilots and air traffic controllers, who operate under an immense amount of stress-their careers should never be threatened because they dared to seek the mental health care they need," said Duckworth. "I'm proud our commonsense, bipartisan bill that would make it easier for our aviation workforce to take care of themselves without fearing for their job security passed through committee. Now, the committee must also advance our other bipartisan legislation that would help inform the aviation workforce which medications they're allowed to take, and the Senate must swiftly pass both bills. It's the least we can do to show current and future pilots and air traffic controllers that we are invested in them and committed to dismantling the dangerous culture of silence surrounding mental health in the aviation industry."

The Mental Health in Aviation Act improves aviation safety by encouraging both pilots and air traffic controllers to seek mental health care, when needed, while reducing the stigma associated with mental health and the potential impact on a pilot's career. Under current FAA regulations, pilots and air traffic controllers are required to obtain and maintain an FAA Medical Certification, which requires the disclosure of medical treatment, including for mental and behavioral health treatment. Once disclosed, even pilots with minor or well-managed conditions can face prolonged uncertainty and bureaucratic delays as they work through the existing processes that allow for treatment and safe return to operation. Further, the FAA has limited psychiatric staff to process pilot mental health evaluations, compounding the bureaucratic delays and leading to a significant backlog of special issuance applications.

In recognition of these challenges, the FAA convened the Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Rulemaking Committee (ARC) in 2023 to assess barriers for pilots and controllers to acknowledge, seek care and treatment, and report mental health concerns, and to develop and implement policy and protocol recommendations. The ARC delivered 24 targeted recommendations aimed at removing obstacles to mental health care while upholding the highest of aviation safety standards.

The Mental Health in Aviation Act builds on these recommendations to modernize the FAA's approach, promote early intervention, provide additional resources to the FAA's Office of Aerospace Medicine, and support the well-being of aviation professionals and the overall safety of our skies. Specifically, the legislation would require the FAA to:

• Modernize mental health guidance regulations for pilots and air traffic controllers to encourage the early disclosure and treatment of mental health conditions, and to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health in aviation.
• Annually review the FAA's Special Issuance Medical Certification process, appropriate mental health treatments and medication use, and overall mental health training for Aviation Medical Examiners.
• Allocate $15 million annually (FY2026-FY2028) to the FAA's Office of Aerospace Medicine to expand and train additional medical examiners, including specialists, to improve the efficiency of the FAA's Special Issuance Medical Certification process.
• A public information campaign to help reduce the stigma around mental health care in aviation and encourage pilots and air traffic controllers to seek treatment.
• This legislation builds upon efforts taken at the University of North Dakota (UND) after John Hauser, a UND Aviation student, took his own life in an aircraft in October 2021. These efforts include the establishment of:
• The John A. Hauser Mental Health in Aviation Initiative Fund at UND, which helped develop the UpLift Peer Support program, to offer mental health support for aviation students from their own peers. This first of its kind program for an educational aviation institution is being replicated globally.
• An annual Aviation Mental Health Summit, to foster collaboration among collegiate aviation training programs, mental health professionals, industry leaders, and the FAA to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health in aviation.
• The North Dakota Center for Aerospace Medicine at the University of North Dakota, which recently signed a $5 million aeromedical research agreement with the FAA.
• In addition to the advancing the Mental Health in Aviation Act, Senators Duckworth and Hoeven, along with Senators Katie Britt (R-AL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), also introduced the Aviation Medication Transparency Act, which would ensure pilots and air traffic controllers have access to accessible and user-friendly FAA guidance outlining which medications are approved, along with information on usage requirements. Senators Duckworth and Hoeven look forward to working together to pass both the Mental Health in Aviation Act and the Senators' Aviation Medication Transparency Act.

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