U.S. Senate passes bipartisan aviation mental health bills

The U.S. Senate unanimously passed two bipartisan bills on Friday aimed at addressing stigmas around mental health in aviation and clarifying what medications pilots can take.

The John A. Hauser Mental Health in Aviation Act (MHAA) would reduce barriers to seeking mental health treatment, accelerate the FAA's medical approval process, increase funding to the Office of Aerospace Medicine, and implement recommendations from the agency's Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC).

The Aviation Medication Transparency Act (AMTA) would create a comprehensive list of medications safe for pilots, air traffic control specialists, and trainees. It would also indicate what period of time individuals holding an FAA medical certificate must have limited or no duties while taking certain medication.

Current barriers to mental health disclosure

According to Flying Magazine, pilots and other aviation professionals must disclose to the FAA any physical and psychological conditions as well as medications they are taking, but many do not for fear of career repercussions. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) maintains a list of appropriate medications for general aviation pilots, but the FAA lacks such an index.

Jason Ambrosi, president of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), which co-chaired the Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances ARC, said pilots have "faced a difficult choice between seeking necessary mental health care and maintaining their careers." Ambrosi added that "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."

Industry support

The Pilot Mental Health Campaign (PMHC), which has advocated for both bills, called the legislation "long-needed reform." Its executive director, Chris Finlayson, described them as "landmark pieces of legislation that will begin to shift an archaic and regressive system surrounding mental health in aviation."

Kristie Greco Johnson, senior vice president of government affairs for the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), said the legislation "takes a meaningful step toward increasing transparency and erasing the stigma often associated with reaching out for support—ultimately strengthening business aviation's safety culture."