Aviation advocates welcome approval of pilot mental wellness legislation

Aviation advocacy groups are commending the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee for approving a bipartisan bill to help more aviators access mental health care.

The bill (H.R. 2591) from Reps. Sean Casten (D-06-IL), Rick Larsen (D-2-WA), Tracey Mann (R-1-KS), and Pete Stauber (R-08-MN) directs the FAA to revise regulations for mental health disclosure and treatment, with the aim of removing barriers to mental wellness services and updating archaic policies surrounding mental health disclosures, according to officials with the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA).

The Mental Health in Aviation Act of 2025 would also authorize the FAA to spend nearly $40 million over three years on programs to destigmatize mental health care, as well as require the agency to implement the recommendations of the Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Rulemaking Committee. The FAA established the committee in 2023 to address concerns about mental health from across the aviation community.

“Addressing pilot mental health will improve the well-being of American aviators and the safety of the traveling public,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen, who added he thanks the lawmakers sponsoring the bill “for working to end the stigma surrounding mental health.”

According to officials with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), key provisions in the legislation, include:

• Requiring the FAA to revise regulations to encourage voluntary mental health disclosures and treatment
• Calling for annual reviews of the special issuance process to expand treatment options and medications
• Providing funding to recruit and train more aviation medical examiners, including psychiatrists.

“AOPA has advocated for a balanced approach to pilot mental health — one that protects aviation safety while ensuring pilots are not punished for seeking treatment,” association officials noted.

This is just the first step for the bill, which must now be passed by the House and the Senate before going to the President to sign into law.