Two Pilot Mental Health Bills Just Passed the Senate: 4 Things Every Pilot Should Know

For Pilots

Sep 29

FOR PILOTS

Policy Update Pilot Mental Health Aeromedical

The John A. Hauser Mental Health in Aviation Act and the Aviation Medication Transparency Act both cleared the Senate unanimously. Here’s what each one does, what hasn’t changed yet, and why you don’t have to wait for Congress to get support.

Shannon Torres • Sep 28, 2026 • 6 min read

Bipartisan bills passed by unanimous consent

$15M

Up to this much a year, FY2026 to 2028, to recruit and train more AMEs

~20%

Of pilots and controllers who report a mental health issue are initially disqualified

Last week, the U.S. Senate passed two bipartisan bills by unanimous consent, both led by Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.). The first is the John A. Hauser Mental Health in Aviation Act. The second is the Aviation Medication Transparency Act. Together, they address two barriers the sponsors named when the bills passed: Long FAA delays after a pilot or controller seeks mental health care, and unclear guidance on which medications are allowed.

The first bill carries the name of John Hauser, a University of North Dakota aviation student who died by suicide in October 2021 during a training flight to Fargo. The bill is named in his memory, and his family’s fund has since supported peer support programs for aviation students at UND.

An airline pilot in uniform, seen from behind, standing at a terminal window at sunrise looking out over parked aircraft and a wet ramp

Both bills now go to the House.

Thing One: The Hauser Act Targets the Wait

An FAA expert panel found that about 20 percent of pilots and controllers who report a mental health issue are initially disqualified, and that getting approval to use an antidepressant can take more than a year. Changing an antidepressant or anxiety medication, or its dose, can mean three months off flying. The Hauser Act is aimed at that wait. As passed by the Senate, it would require the FAA to:

Update its mental health regulations, including a review of the special issuance process, based on recommendations from an FAA task group created by the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act
Implement the recommendations of its Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee, which delivered 24 proposals in 2024
Spend up to $15 million a year, fiscal years 2026 through 2028, to recruit and train more aviation medical examiners, including psychiatrists
Run a public information campaign to reduce stigma around mental health care in aviation and tell pilots and controllers what support is available

Thing Two: The Medication Act Targets the Guesswork

The Aviation Medication Transparency Act, led by Senator Duckworth and cosponsored by Senator Hoeven, would require the FAA to publish a public, user-friendly list of medications approved for pilots and air traffic controllers within a year of the bill becoming law, and to update it every year. The list would note any required duty limitations, identify medications the FAA has designated “Do Not Issue,” and give doctors a way to contact the FAA with questions.

“Most, if treated, do not disqualify a pilot from flying.” The FAA, on mental health conditions, September 2026

Thing Three: Nothing Changes Yet

Neither bill is law. The House has already passed its own version of the Mental Health in Aviation Act, and a House committee has advanced its version of the medication bill, so the two chambers still need to agree on identical text before anything goes to the President. After that, the FAA has to write and implement the actual rule changes, which takes time.

Until then, your reporting obligations on MedXPress are exactly what they were last month. Please don’t change what you disclose based on where these bills are headed. If you’re unsure what applies to you, ask an aviation medical examiner or your union’s aeromedical resource before deciding on your own.

Thing Four: You Don’t Have to Wait for Congress

Even if both bills become law, the FAA changes will take time to arrive. Coaching is one form of support available now, and it’s why I built Aviation Conversations around it: A confidential place to work through stress, a rough stretch in training, or the weight of the job. Coaching isn’t health care and isn’t reportable on MedXPress, so it doesn’t touch your medical.

For flight school owners and chief instructors, this is a good week to talk about it out loud. Tell your students and CFIs what these bills would change, what they wouldn’t, and where they can go for support in the meantime.

Try this before your next flightOne practical exercise from Shannon.

Before you repeat anything about these bills in the FBO or on a forum, open the bill text linked below and see what actually passed. Then check the latest guidance from your AME or aeromedical advisor.

Read the bills and coverage yourself

Bill details can change as the House and Senate reconcile their versions. Check the source before you share specifics.

Where do you go from here?

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If you’re in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any time.

Shannon Torres

Counselor, Educator, and Pilot, founder of Aviation Conversations, Confidential Coaching for Pilots; because getting support should never cost you your career. Practical. Confidential. Built for Pilots.