Mental Health in Aviation Act of 2025

This legislation mandates that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) update its regulations within two years to encourage aviation professionals to seek help for and disclose mental health conditions. It also enhances consultation requirements for a task group, ensuring a comprehensive review of mental health recommendations and relevant clinical studies from various aviation and medical stakeholders. The Act requires the FAA Administrator to conduct annual reviews of the mental health-related special issuance process for pilots and air traffic controllers. This review aims to reclassify and approve additional medications, improve mental health training for aviation medical examiners (AMEs), and potentially delegate more authority to AMEs, ultimately streamlining the process. Additionally, it authorizes an annual appropriation of $13.74 million for fiscal years 2026 through 2028 to recruit and train additional AMEs, expand oversight, and clear backlogs of special issuance requests. Furthermore, the bill directs the FAA to implement recommendations from the Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee within two years. It also allocates $1.5 million annually for a public information campaign to destigmatize mental health care, broaden awareness of available support services, and build trust among pilots and air traffic controllers.