119-hr2591

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2591 Referred in Senate

    (RFS) ]

<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 2591

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 September 9, 2025

 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
 Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

 AN ACT

To require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to 
 revise regulations for certain individuals carrying out aviation 
activities who disclose a mental health diagnosis or condition, and for 
 other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Mental Health in Aviation Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. REGULATIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS CARRYING OUT AVIATION ACTIVITIES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration 
shall update regulations, including in part 67 of title 14 of Code of 
Federal Regulations, as appropriate, to encourage individuals to--

    (1) seek help for mental health conditions or symptoms of 
 mental health conditions; and

    (2) disclose conditions or symptoms described in paragraph

    (1) .

    (b) Consultation; Report Requirements.--

Section 411
            (d) of the FAA 
Reauthorization Act of 2024 (49 U.S.C. 44703 note
            (d) ) is amended--

    (1) in paragraph

    (4) --
        (A) in subparagraph
        (A) by striking ``and'' at the 
 end;
        (B) in subparagraph
        (B) by striking ``and'' at the 
 end;
            (C) in subparagraph
            (C) by striking the period at 
 the end and inserting a semicolon; and
            (D) by adding at the end the following:
 ``
            (D) a review and evaluation of any 
 recommendations reached by the National Transportation 
 Safety Board related to aviation workforce mental 
 health; and
 ``
        (E) a description of relevant clinical studies, 
 research, diagnostic manuals, and protocols used by the 
 licensed professionals as of the date of enactment of 
 this Act.''; and

    (2) by adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (5) Consultation.--In carrying out this subsection, the 
 task group shall consult with relevant stakeholders from the 
 aviation and medical communities, as necessary, including--
 ``
        (A) the certified exclusive bargaining 
 representatives of air traffic controllers of the 
 Administration certified under 

section 7111 of title 5, 
 United States Code;
 ``
        (B) organizations representing certified 
 collective bargaining representatives of airline 
 pilots;
 ``
            (C) aviation medical examiners, as described in 
 

section 183.21 of title 14, Code of Federal 
 Regulations; and
 ``
            (D) any other stakeholder determined relevant by 
 the task group, including any stakeholders described in 
 paragraph

    (3)
        (B) .''.
            (c) Implementation.--

    (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the 
 submission of the report required under 

section 411

    (f) of the 
 FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (49 U.S.C. 44703 note), the 
 Administrator shall take such actions as are necessary to 
 implement the mental health-related recommendations of such 
 report.

    (2) Justification.--If the Administrator decides not to 
 implement any of the recommendations described in paragraph

    (1) , the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate 
 committees of Congress the justification for such decision.

SEC. 3. ANNUAL REVIEW OF MENTAL HEALTH SPECIAL ISSUANCE PROCESS.

 The Administrator shall conduct an annual review, and update, as 
appropriate, the applicable regulations, policies, orders, and guidance 
on mental health-related special issuance for pilots and air traffic 
controllers to--

    (1) reclassify and approve additional medications that may 
 be safely prescribed to airmen to treat mental health 
 conditions;

    (2) improve mental health knowledge and training for 
 aviation medical examiners;

    (3) if the Administrator determines appropriate, delegate 
 additional authority to aviation medical examiners consistent 
 with the recommendation of the Mental Health Aviation 
 Rulemaking Committee described in 

section 5; and

    (4) improve the special issuance process for pilots and air 
 traffic controllers.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATION FOR ADDITIONAL AVIATION MEDICAL 
 EXAMINERS.

 Of the amounts made available pursuant to 

section 106

    (k)

    (1) of 
title 49, United States Code, the Administrator shall set aside 
$13,740,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2028 to--

    (1) recruit, select, train, and delegate the necessary 
 authorities to additional aviation medical examiners and human 
 intervention motivation study aviation medical examiners, 
 including those who are psychiatrists;

    (2) expand capacity to provide oversight of aviation 
 medical examiners and clear the backlog of special issuance 
 requests and cases awaiting review at the Office of Aerospace 
 Medicine; and

    (3) support any other related activities, as the 
 Administrator determines appropriate.

SEC. 5. IMPLEMENTATION OF AVIATION RULEMAKING COMMITTEE 
 RECOMMENDATIONS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator shall implement, to the greatest extent 
practicable, the recommendations of the Mental Health and Aviation 
Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee which were submitted 
to the Administrator on April 1, 2024.

    (b) Consultation.--In carrying out subsection

    (a) , the 
Administrator shall consult with the parties described in 

section 411
            (d) (5) of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (as added by this 
Act).
            (c) Justification.--If the Administrator decides not to implement 
any of the recommendations described in subsection

    (a) , the 
Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress 
the justification for such decision.

SEC. 6. PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN.

    (a) In General.--Of the amounts made available under 

section 106

    (k)

    (1) of title 49, United States Code, the Administrator shall set 
aside $1,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2028 for a 
public information campaign or similar public education efforts to 
destigmatize individuals in (or interested in joining) the aviation 
industry who seek mental health care, to broaden awareness of available 
supportive services, and establish trust with pilots and air traffic 
controllers.

    (b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the Administrator creates 
the public information campaign described in subsection

    (a) , the 
Administrator shall submit to appropriate committees of Congress a 
report describing the actions taken to develop such campaign and the 
plans for implementation.

SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
 ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
        (A) the Committee on Transportation and 
 Infrastructure of the House of Representatives; and
        (B) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
 Transportation of the Senate.

    (2) Special issuance.--The term ``special issuance'' has 
 the meaning given the term in 

section 67.401 of title 14, Code 
 of Federal Regulations.

 Passed the House of Representatives September 8, 2025.

 Attest:

 KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,

 Clerk.