Representatives Reintroduce Bill to Reduce Barriers to Mental Health Services

US Congressmen delivered the Mental Health in Aviation Act to the House of Representatives on April 2. This is the flagship bill of the Pilot Mental Health Campaign (PMHC), working to break down barriers between aviators or air traffic controllers and mental health services.

The Mental Health in Aviation Act (MHAA) was introduced to the House for the first time in September 2024 by Representatives Sean Casten and Lori Chavez-DeRemer. It aimed to address a long-running stigma against mental health talks in the industry, making pilots and air traffic controllers uncomfortable seeking professional help in fear of losing their jobs or medicals.

“Pilots and air traffic controllers should not be unfairly penalized for seeking mental health care by a system that perpetuates a culture of silence,” explained Casten. “The Mental Health in Aviation Act bolsters mental health care access for aviators by requiring the FAA to eliminate the main barriers to care, direct continuous improvement to the special issuance process, and ensure pilots and air traffic controllers have access to help should they need it.”

Now, nearly seven months after its original introduction, MHAA was brought back to the House by Representatives Casten and Pete Stauber. Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Rick Larsen and Representative Tracey Mann are cosponsors.

The legislation, endorsed by a variety of aviation advocacy groups, would force the FAA to implement recommendations from its Aviation Workforce Mental Health Task Group within two years as well as revise policies surrounding mental health and medical disclosure. It was addressed alongside the Aviation Medication Transparency Act (AMTA), which would require the agency to publish an annually-updated list of approved medications for pilots.

"PMHC urges Congress to act swiftly in passing these vital pieces of legislation, emphasizing that pilots and air traffic controllers have endured mental health challenges in silence for far too long,” stated PMHC Executive Director Chris Finlayson. “By advancing these reforms, we can foster a modern approach to aviation mental fitness, thus creating a safer environment for all aviation professionals.”

FMI: www.pmhc.org