No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section defines terms used in the Act, including "Administrator" (i.e., the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration), "appropriate committees of Congress" (i.e., the House Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and Appropriations and the Senate Committees on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and Appropriations), "FAA" (i.e., the Federal Aviation Administration), and "special issuance" (i.e., as defined in 14 CFR 67.401).
This section requires the FAA Administrator, not later than two years after enactment, to update regulations—including in 14 CFR part 67 (i.e., medical standards and certification requirements for airmen)—and issue guidance to encourage individuals performing aviation activities to seek help for and disclose mental health conditions or symptoms. (As background, 49 U.S.C. §44703 requires FAA to ensure airmen are physically able to perform duties, including through medical fitness tests.) The section also amends Section 411(d) of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (49 U.S.C. §44703 note)—which established an aviation workforce mental health task group—by (1) expanding the task group's report requirements to include a review of National Transportation Safety Board recommendations on aviation workforce mental health and a description of relevant clinical studies, research, diagnostic manuals, and protocols used by licensed professionals; and (2) requiring the task group to consult with aviation and medical stakeholders, including air traffic controller bargaining representatives, airline pilot unions, and aviation-accredited institutions of higher education. Finally, the section requires the FAA Administrator to implement recommendations from task group reports submitted under Section 411(f) of that Act within 180 days of enactment (or subsequent report submission), or submit to congressional committees a justification for declining to do so within 90 days of receiving the report.
This section requires the FAA Administrator, beginning 180 days after submission of the first report required by section 411(f) of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (49 U.S.C. 44703 note) and annually thereafter, to review the special issuance process—which allows issuance of airman medical certificates to pilots and air traffic controllers with certain disqualifying medical conditions, including mental health conditions, subject to monitoring—and, as appropriate, update related regulations, policies, orders, and guidance to (1) consider reclassifying additional medications and evidence-based treatments safely prescribable for mental health conditions; (2) improve mental health knowledge and training for aviation medical examiners; (3) if appropriate, expand mental health-related situations in which aviation medical examiners may issue certificates consistent with recommendations of the Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Rulemaking Committee under section 6; and (4) improve the special issuance process for pilots and air traffic controllers.
This section directs the FAA Administrator to designate not more than $15 million for each of FY2026 through FY2029 from amounts available under 49 U.S.C. 106(k)(1) for the Office of Aerospace Medicine to (1) recruit, select, and train additional aviation medical examiners and human intervention motivation study aviation medical examiners, including psychiatrists; (2) expand oversight of aviation medical examiners and clear backlogs of special issuance requests and cases awaiting review; (3) provide enhanced mental health training to aviation medical examiners for evaluating FAA medical certifications; and (4) support other related activities as determined appropriate.
This section directs the FAA Administrator, not later than two years after enactment, to implement as appropriate the recommendations of the Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee submitted on April 1, 2024. In doing so, the Administrator must consult with stakeholders specified in sec. 411(d)(5) of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. If the Administrator decides not to implement any such recommendation, the Administrator must submit a justification to the appropriate congressional committees within 90 days after the two-year deadline.
This section directs the FAA Administrator to designate not more than $1,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029 from amounts available under 49 U.S.C. 106(k)(1) for a public information campaign to (1) destigmatize individuals in or interested in the aviation industry who seek mental health care, (2) broaden awareness of available supportive services, and (3) improve trust between the FAA and pilots and air traffic controllers. The campaign must include making specified information publicly available online and at Aviation Medical Examiner offices and collaborating with air carriers, flight training institutions and entities (as described in 14 C.F.R. parts 61 and 141), and small, medium, and large hub airports to make such information accessible to airmen and air traffic controllers. Within 90 days of establishing the campaign, the Administrator must brief the appropriate congressional committees on its development and implementation plans, and submit a report to those committees two years after implementation describing engagement, outreach, and stakeholder feedback on its efficacy.