The U.S. Senate on Thursday unanimously passed the John A. Hauser Mental Health in Aviation Act, moving legislation aimed at changing the FAA’s handling of mental health and medical certification for pilots and air traffic controllers closer to enactment. The measure follows earlier House action on similar legislation and previous Senate committee approval of the mental health bill.
The legislation would require the FAA to modernize mental health guidance, encourage earlier disclosure and treatment of mental health conditions and regularly review its Mental Health Special Issuance process. It also calls for additional training for aviation medical examiners, including specialists, and directs the agency to conduct a public information campaign aimed at reducing barriers to seeking care. The FAA has already made separate changes to some certification procedures, including giving AMEs greater authority over certain mental health renewals.
More specifically, the bill would give the FAA 18 months to update Part 67 medical-certification regulations and related guidance. It would require periodic reviews of the mental health special issuance process, including whether additional medications and evidence-based treatments can be accepted, and whether specially trained AMEs should be allowed to issue more certificates without sending cases to the FAA for additional review.
The measure would authorize up to $15 million annually through fiscal 2028 to recruit and train additional AMEs, including psychiatrists, expand FAA medical-review capacity and reduce the special issuance backlog. It would also require the FAA, within two years, to implement applicable recommendations from its 2024 Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee or explain to Congress why individual recommendations were not adopted.
Medical Certification Changes
“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 weren’t properly informed about which medications they’re allowed to take, or simply sought the mental health care they need,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., said in a statement.
The Senate also unanimously passed the Aviation Medication Transparency Act, which would require the FAA to publish accessible guidance on medications considered compatible with aviation duties. The guidance would include medications designated “Do Not Issue” or “Do Not Fly” and information about periods when pilots may need to limit or suspend duties. A Senate committee advanced that bill in July, while a related House measure moved through committee earlier this month.
House Action Still Required
The House previously passed its own version of the bill, the Mental Health in Aviation Act, in September 2025. The Senate approved S. 3257 after adopting an amendment, meaning additional House action is required before legislation can reach the president. The House measure also called for changes to FAA medical certification regulations, along with implementing recommendations from the agency’s Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee.
I think the public deserves, that since the senate makes monumental life changing decisions for all Americans as well as others, they should be held to the same mental health standards as pilots.