Mental Health in Aviation Act of 2025

Key Points

• The FAA must update its regulations within two years to encourage pilots and air traffic controllers to seek help for mental health conditions and to disclose symptoms without fear of career consequences. This addresses a long-standing culture where aviation workers hide mental health struggles to protect their jobs.
• The bill sets aside $13.74 million per year from fiscal years 2026 through 2028 to hire and train more aviation medical examiners, including psychiatrists, and to clear the backlog of medical reviews that have kept pilots grounded while waiting for approvals.
• A $1.5 million annual public information campaign will aim to reduce stigma around mental health care in aviation and build trust with pilots and controllers so they feel safe being honest about their health.
• The FAA must conduct annual reviews to reclassify and approve additional medications that pilots can safely use to treat mental health conditions. This could allow more workers to stay on the job while taking common prescriptions for anxiety or depression.
• The FAA must implement recommendations from the Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee within two years, and if it chooses not to follow any recommendation, it must explain its reasoning to Congress.