Stauber Legislation to Improve Mental Health in Aviation Passes House

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives passed the Mental Health in Aviation Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Congressmen Pete Stauber (MN-08) and Sean Casten (IL-06).

“Flying remains one of the safest forms of transportation but maintaining that safety means taking care of the people who make it possible,” said Congressman Pete Stauber. “Unfortunately, current Federal Aviation Administration regulations prevent aviation professionals from seeking mental health care by imposing unfair penalties on those who do. This creates a dangerous culture of silence and stigma. The Mental Health in Aviation Act will break down these barriers and support the mental health of our aviation workforce. I am proud to see it pass the House today, and I look forward to working with Rep. Casten to ensure it reaches the President’s desk.   

“Aviators should not be unfairly penalized for seeking mental health care. The current system perpetuates a culture of silence, and it’s past time that changes,” said Congressman Sean Casten. “The Mental Health in Aviation Act makes our skies safer by ensuring pilots and air traffic controllers can access mental health care, should they need it. I’m incredibly proud to see this legislation pass the House of Representatives, and I will continue working with Congressman Stauber to get it through the Senate and signed into law.”

While aviation professionals are mandated to report if they seek mental health care, once they take that step, they are faced with delays and overregulation in the process of returning to work. 

In December 2023, the Federal Aviation Committee (FAA) recognized the need to reform its current policies and established the Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) to identify barriers to mental healthcare for aviators and present recommendations to the FAA to address these challenges. The ARC coalesced around a list of 24 recommendations to eliminate some of the barriers to care. 

The Mental Health in Aviation Act requires the FAA to take the following steps: 

• Require the FAA to revise regulations to encourage voluntary mental health disclosures and treatment.
• Implement the recommendations of the ARC within two years.
• Provide funding to recruit and train more aviation medical examiners, including psychiatrists. 

Text of the Mental Health in Aviation Act can be found here.

The legislation is endorsed by the Pilot Mental Health Campaign, Air Line Pilots Association, Airlines for America, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, National Flight Training Alliance, the National Business Aviation Association, the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP), and the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA).