# 119-s-3257: John A. Hauser Mental Health in Aviation Act

119-s-3257, John A. Hauser Mental Health in Aviation Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND] (R-ND); status passed_senate; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-03).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3257
- As of: 2026-10-03
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-3257
- Congress: 119
- Title: John A. Hauser Mental Health in Aviation Act
- Status: passed_senate
- Introduced: 2025-11-20
- Sponsor: Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND] (R-ND)
- Cosponsors: 33
- Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-03

## Summary

**This bill would reform FAA rules to improve **mental health care access and help-seeking** among pilots and air traffic controllers.** - Pilots and air traffic controllers: Would update regulations to encourage voluntary disclosure of mental health concerns and require a rolling review of the special issuance medical clearance process, with annual reviews for the first 2 years and every 3 years after. - Aviation medical examiners and the FAA's Office of Aerospace Medicine: Would add up to $15 million per year for 2026–2028 to recruit and train AMEs including psychiatrists, clear backlogs, bolster oversight, and consider expanded AME authority after enhanced training. - Industry and public outreach: Would broaden stakeholder feedback, require review of National Transportation Safety Board recommendations, mandate task group recommendations be implemented within 2 years or require congressional justification, and run a 2026–2028 public campaign to destigmatize mental health care and share resources. *Would increase federal spending by up to $15 million per year in 2026–2028 to expand Office of Aerospace Medicine capacity.*

## Cosponsors (33)

- Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ] (D-AZ), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] (D-CO), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-11-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL] (R-AL), 2025-11-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-11-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Fischer, Deb [R-NE] (R-NE), 2025-11-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO] (D-CO), 2025-11-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK] (R-AK), 2025-11-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (D-MN), 2025-11-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Curtis, John R. [R-UT] (R-UT), 2025-11-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI] (D-RI), 2025-11-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS] (R-KS), 2025-11-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2025-11-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID] (R-ID), 2025-12-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR), 2025-12-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Moreno, Bernie [R-OH] (R-OH), 2025-12-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] (D-NM), 2025-12-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK] (R-AK), 2026-01-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] (D-WI), 2026-01-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA] (R-LA), 2026-02-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA] (D-GA), 2026-02-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-MS] (R-MS), 2026-03-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] (D-NH), 2026-03-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD] (R-SD), 2026-03-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ] (D-AZ), 2026-03-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID] (R-ID), 2026-03-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (D-DE), 2026-03-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT] (R-MT), 2026-05-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] (D-OR), 2026-05-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA] (R-LA), 2026-06-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI] (D-MI), 2026-06-15T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Easier mental-health clearances for pilots and controllers: benefit, medium. Starting 180 days after the first required report, the FAA would review mental‑health special‑issuance rules. Reviews would run yearly for two years, then every three years. The FAA would consider allowing more safe medicines and treatments. Aviation medical examiners would get added mental‑health…
- Help-seeking rules and outreach for aviation workers: benefit, medium. Within 18 months, the FAA would update medical rules (including part 67) and guidance to encourage help‑seeking and disclosure of mental‑health issues. For 2026–2028, the FAA would run a public campaign to reduce stigma and explain available services. The FAA would post clear information online and…
- More FAA medical examiners and training: benefit, low. For 2026–2028, the FAA would get up to $15 million each year to expand the Office of Aerospace Medicine. The money would hire and train more aviation medical examiners, including psychiatrists and HIMS examiners. It would expand oversight, clear backlogs in special‑issuance reviews, and fund added…
- Faster, evidence-based FAA mental health reforms: benefit, low. The FAA would use broader stakeholder input on workforce mental health, including airlines, general aviation, pilot unions, controllers’ unions, accredited aviation schools, and part 141 flight schools. Task group reports would review any NTSB recommendations and list the studies and protocols used…

## Related bills

- 119-sres-913: A resolution relating to the death of the Honorable Nancy Kassebaum, former United States Senator for the State of Kansas.
- 119-sres-897: A resolution honoring the life, service, and legacy of the Honorable Jon Llewellyn Kyl, former Senator for the State of Arizona.
- 119-sres-801: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable Lindsey Olin Graham, a Senator from the State of South Carolina.
- 119-sres-755: A resolution honoring the life of the Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former Senator for the State of Michigan.
- 119-sres-739: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of John Seymour, the late Senator for the State of California.
- 119-sres-723: A resolution honoring the life of Dirk Arthur Kempthorne, former United States Senator for the State of Idaho.

## Sources
- [119-s-3257 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3257)

## Related
- [119-sres-913: A resolution relating to the death of the Honorable Nancy Kassebaum, former Uni…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-913)
- [119-sres-897: A resolution honoring the life, service, and legacy of the Honorable Jon Llewel…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-897)
- [119-sres-801: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable Lindsey Olin Graham,…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-801)
- [119-sres-755: A resolution honoring the life of the Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former S…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-755)
- [119-sres-739: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of John Seymour, the late Senator for…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-739)
- [119-sres-723: A resolution honoring the life of Dirk Arthur Kempthorne, former United States…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-723)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3257 (as of 2026-10-03).