Senate unanimously approves mental health, medication bills

The John A. Hauser Mental Health in Aviation Act, introduced by Sens. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), was named in honor of John Hauser, a University of North Dakota aviation student and certificated private pilot who died in a deliberate airplane crash in 2021. After his death, his family discovered letters stating that he feared seeking mental health treatment would cost him his future in aviation.

The bill would:

• Require the FAA to revise regulations to encourage pilots and controllers to seek help for and disclose mental health conditions.
• Require regular reviews of the special issuance process to consider expanding treatment options and approved medications.
• Provide up to $15 million annually through 2028 to recruit and train more aviation medical examiners, including psychiatrists, to help reduce the current backlog of special issuance applications.
• Require that the FAA launch a public information campaign to reduce stigma, raise awareness of available services, and build trust with pilots and air traffic controllers.
• Require that the FAA implement recommendations from the 2024 Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Rulemaking Committee.

AOPA served on the rulemaking committee, which addressed the culture within the aviation industry, the stigma and lack of knowledge surrounding mental health treatment, mistrust in the aeromedical process, and the often-complicated path to obtaining a medical certificate.

The bill cleared the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on July 23. A similar version also passed the House of Representatives on September 8, 2025. Lawmakers hope to reconcile the differences between the bills and send a final version to the president by the end of the year.

The Aviation Medication Transparency Act, which was also introduced by Duckworth and Hoeven, would require that the FAA publish—for the first time—a public, user-friendly list of medications that pilots can safely use. The agency would also be required to update it at least once a year.

A similar bill was approved by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on September 15. It is still awaiting a full House vote.

While AOPA's medications database offers valuable information on many medications, it also points out that "Federal Aviation Regulations include no specific references to medication usage" and that "there is no official FAA 'list' of drugs."

"We appreciate the work by Senators Duckworth and Hoeven to address medication transparency and long overdue reforms in mental health,” said AOPA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Advocacy Jim Coon. “It's no secret that many pilots worry about losing their medical certificate for taking a medication that the FAA deems unsafe or for seeking mental health treatment. These bills will provide needed clarity and guidance for pilots, and we will continue to support them becoming law."