Mental Health in Aviation Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Representative Casten
Passed House
Summary
Encourages help-seeking and mental-health disclosure among pilots and air traffic controllers. The bill would direct the FAA to rewrite medical rules and reporting requirements to lower barriers to care, expand consultation with stakeholders, and require regular reviews of aviation mental-health practices.
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- Pilots and air traffic controllers: Would change the special-issuance process, require annual reviews, and push the FAA to reclassify and approve additional medications so more airmen can safely get treatment.
- Aviation medical examiners and Office of Aerospace Medicine: Would expand training, allow more delegation to examiners, and fund recruitment and backlog clearance with about $13.7 million per year for 2026–2028.
- Oversight, consultations, and public outreach: Would force review of National Transportation Safety Board recommendations and clinical protocols, require stakeholder consultation, and fund a destigmatization public information campaign at $1.5 million per year for 2026–2028.
*Authorizes roughly $13.7 million per year plus $1.5 million per year for a public campaign for 2026–2028, increasing federal spending over those years.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Easier FAA medical rules for pilots and controllers
The FAA would update Part 67 and related rules within two years to encourage help-seeking and require honest disclosure of mental health conditions. The FAA would review these policies every year and could allow more safe medications, improve examiner training, delegate decisions when appropriate, and speed special-issuance approvals. The bill would set aside $13.74 million each year for FY2026–FY2028 to hire and train more aviation medical examiners, including psychiatrists, and to clear backlogs.
Faster FAA mental health action and consultation
The FAA would have to carry out mental health recommendations from a 2024 report within 180 days after that report is submitted or explain why not. The FAA would aim to implement committee recommendations sent on April 1, 2024 within two years after enactment, and justify any it does not adopt. While doing this work, the FAA would consult pilots’ and controllers’ unions and aviation medical examiners.
Mental health info campaign for aviation workers
The FAA would set aside $1.5 million each year for FY2026–FY2028 for a public information campaign on mental health. The campaign would work to reduce stigma and raise awareness of support for pilots and air traffic controllers. Within one year after starting the campaign, the FAA would report actions taken and plans to two congressional committees.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Casten
IL • D
Cosponsors
Stauber
MN • R
Sponsored 4/2/2025
Rep. Larsen, Rick [D-WA-2]
WA • D
Sponsored 4/2/2025
Rep. Mann, Tracey [R-KS-1]
KS • R
Sponsored 4/2/2025
Wilson (FL)
FL • D
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Rep. Bergman, Jack [R-MI-1]
MI • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3]
KS • D
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]
PA • R
Sponsored 5/15/2025
Del. King-Hinds, Kimberlyn [R-MP-At Large]
MP • R
Sponsored 5/21/2025
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 5/21/2025
Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12]
NY • D
Sponsored 5/23/2025
Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2]
NE • R
Sponsored 5/23/2025
Rep. Hinson, Ashley [R-IA-2]
IA • R
Sponsored 6/2/2025
Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24]
CA • D
Sponsored 6/2/2025
Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12]
NJ • D
Sponsored 6/4/2025
Kean
NJ • R
Sponsored 6/4/2025
Del. Moylan, James C. [R-GU-At Large]
GU • R
Sponsored 6/9/2025
Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1]
NV • D
Sponsored 6/9/2025
McDowell
NC • R
Sponsored 6/9/2025
Rep. Ryan, Patrick [D-NY-18]
NY • D
Sponsored 6/9/2025
Carson
IN • D
Sponsored 6/10/2025
Rep. Owens, Burgess [R-UT-4]
UT • R
Sponsored 6/10/2025
Johnson (GA)
GA • D
Sponsored 6/11/2025
Obernolte
CA • R
Sponsored 6/11/2025
Van Drew
NJ • R
Sponsored 6/11/2025
Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17]
PA • D
Sponsored 6/11/2025
Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22]
CA • R
Sponsored 6/17/2025
Rep. Scholten, Hillary J. [D-MI-3]
MI • D
Sponsored 6/17/2025
Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10]
NJ • D
Sponsored 6/20/2025
Turner (OH)
OH • R
Sponsored 6/20/2025
Rep. Garbarino, Andrew R. [R-NY-2]
NY • R
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Rep. Garcia, Robert [D-CA-42]
CA • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Knott
NC • R
Sponsored 7/14/2025
Rep. Begich, Nicholas J. [R-AK-At Large]
AK • R
Sponsored 7/15/2025
Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2]
HI • D
Sponsored 7/15/2025
Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8]
IL • D
Sponsored 7/15/2025
Wied
WI • R
Sponsored 7/22/2025
Lofgren
CA • D
Sponsored 7/22/2025
LaLota
NY • R
Sponsored 8/8/2025
Rep. Stanton, Greg [D-AZ-4]
AZ • D
Sponsored 8/8/2025
Evans (CO)
CO • R
Sponsored 8/29/2025
Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3]
NY • D
Sponsored 8/29/2025
Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]
NY • R
Sponsored 9/8/2025
Craig
MN • D
Sponsored 9/8/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov