H.R. 2591: Mental Health in Aviation Act of 2025

This bill, titled the Mental Health in Aviation Act of 2025, aims to improve mental health support and treatment for individuals involved in aviation activities, particularly focusing on pilots and air traffic controllers. Here are the main components of the bill:

Regulations Update

Within two years after passing, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is required to revise its regulations regarding mental health. Specifically, these updates will:

• Encourage individuals to seek help for mental health conditions or symptoms.
• Encourage individuals to disclose any mental health conditions or symptoms.

Stakeholder Consultation

While revising the regulations, the FAA will consult various stakeholders from the aviation and medical fields. This includes:

• Bargaining representatives of air traffic controllers.
• The principal organization representing airline pilots.
• Aviation medical examiners.
• Other relevant stakeholders as determined by the FAA task group.

Reporting Requirements

The bill amends existing reporting requirements by mandating that the FAA include evaluations related to:

• Recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board regarding aviation workforce mental health.
• Descriptions of clinical studies, research, and protocols used by licensed professionals for mental health assessment and treatment.

Annual Review Process

The FAA will conduct an annual review of its processes for handling mental health-related special issuance for pilots and air traffic controllers. This review will focus on:

• Reclassifying and approving additional medications safe for use.
• Improving mental health training for aviation medical examiners.
• Potentially delegating more authority to aviation medical examiners.
• Enhancing the special issuance process for mental health cases.

Funding for Medical Examiners

The bill authorizes $13.74 million for the FAA for each fiscal year from 2026 to 2029. This funding is intended for:

• Recruiting and training more aviation medical examiners.
• Expanding oversight of aviation medical examiners.
• Clearing any backlog in special issuance requests.

Implementation of Committee Recommendations

The FAA must implement recommendations from the Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee within two years of the bill's enactment.

Public Information Campaign

The bill allocates $1.5 million for each fiscal year from 2026 to 2029 for a public information campaign aimed at:

• Destigmatizing mental health care in the aviation industry.
• Raising awareness of available mental health services.
• Building trust among pilots and air traffic controllers regarding seeking mental health care.

A report on the progress and plans for this campaign is required within a year of its development.

Definitions

The bill also defines key terms, such as:

• Appropriate committees of Congress: Refers to the relevant committees overseeing transportation and aviation.
• Special issuance: Relates specifically to medical declarations concerning the ability to perform aviation duties.

Relevant Companies

None found