The U.S. Senate on Thursday passed the Mental Health in Aviation Act (S.3257), designed to encourage aviation professionals to seek mental health treatment by breaking down barriers. Similar legislation passed the House of Representatives in 2025. Senate passage, by unanimous consent, follows Commerce Committee approval in April.
Introduced by Sens. John Hoeven (R-North Dakota) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois), the bill has received strong support throughout the industry and adopts recommendations from the FAA’s Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC).
The bill would foster collaboration on education campaigns to eliminate stigmas surrounding mental health care, expand peer-support programs, and improve the process for aviation workers to return to work by reducing the certification backlogs, enabling the FAA to recruit more medical examiners, and allowing use of certain pre-approved medications.
“This legislation acknowledges that a pilot’s psychological well-being is just as important as their physical health,” said Jason Ambrosi, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, which participated in the ARC.
The ARC’s final report found that 20% of pilots and controllers who report a mental health diagnosis are initially disqualified and are unable to work until the FAA resolves their cases, a process that can take years.
“For far too long, pilots have faced a difficult choice between seeking necessary mental health care and maintaining their careers,” said Ambrosi. “When pilots know that reporting treatment won’t sideline them for months on end, they’ll come forward, and the FAA gets the information it needs to make sound medical decisions. This bill would create a system that makes flying safer for passengers and crews alike.”
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association added, “These bills represent meaningful progress toward ensuring a safer and healthier aviation workforce.”
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