Engrossed in Senate

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3257 Engrossed in Senate (ES)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3257

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
To require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to 
   revise regulations for certain individuals carrying out aviation 
activities who disclose a mental health diagnosis or condition, and for 
                            other purposes.


 


    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``John A. Hauser Mental Health in 
Aviation Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.
            (2) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Transportation and 
                Infrastructure of the House of Representatives; and
                    (B) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                Transportation of the Senate.
            (3) FAA.--The term ``FAA'' means the Federal Aviation 
        Administration.
            (4) Special issuance.--The term ``special issuance'' has 
        the meaning given such term in section 67.401 of title 14, Code 
        of Federal Regulations.

SEC. 3. REGULATIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS CARRYING OUT AVIATION ACTIVITIES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall update regulations, 
including in part 67 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, and 
issue relevant guidance as appropriate to encourage individuals to--
            (1) seek help for mental health conditions or symptoms of 
        mental health conditions; and
            (2) disclose conditions or symptoms described in paragraph 
        (1).
    (b) Solicit Feedback; Report Requirements.--Section 411(d) of the 
FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (49 U.S.C. 44703 note) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (3), by striking subparagraph (B) and 
        inserting the following:
                    ``(B) soliciting feedback from aviation industry 
                professionals or other licensed professionals 
                representing air carrier operations under part 121 and 
                part 135 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, and 
                general aviation operations under part 91 of title 14, 
                Code of Federal Regulations, the exclusive bargaining 
                representatives of air traffic controllers of the FAA 
                certified under section 7111 of title 5, United States 
                Code, organizations representing collective bargaining 
                representatives of airline pilots, institutions of 
                higher education that are accredited by the Aviation 
                Accreditation Board International, and professional 
                pilot flight training schools certificated under part 
                141 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations;''; and
            (2) in paragraph (4)--
                    (A) in subparagraphs (A) and (B), by striking 
                ``and'' at the end;
                    (B) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting a semicolon; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                subparagraphs:
                    ``(D) a review and evaluation of any 
                recommendations reached by the National Transportation 
                Safety Board related to aviation workforce mental 
                health; and
                    ``(E) a description of relevant clinical studies, 
                research, diagnostic manuals, and protocols relied upon 
                by the task group in developing their 
                recommendations.''.
    (c) Implementation.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, and for any report issued thereafter, 
        not later than 180 days after the submission of each report 
        required under section 411(f) of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 
        2024 (49 U.S.C. 44703 note), the Administrator may take action, 
        as appropriate, to implement the recommendations of such 
        report.
            (2) Justification.--In the event that the Administrator 
        decides not to implement a recommendation described in 
        paragraph (1), the Administrator shall submit to the 
        appropriate committees of Congress the justification for such 
        decision not later than 90 days after receiving the report 
        containing such recommendation.

SEC. 4. REVIEW OF MENTAL HEALTH SPECIAL ISSUANCE PROCESS.

    Beginning on the date that is 180 days after the Administrator 
submits the first report pursuant to section 411(f) of the FAA 
Reauthorization Act of 2024 (49 U.S.C. 44703 note), and annually for 
the 1st 2 years thereafter, and triennially thereafter, the 
Administrator shall conduct a review of the special issuance process, 
and update, as appropriate, the applicable regulations, policies, 
orders, and guidance on mental health-related special issuance for 
pilots and air traffic controllers to--
            (1) consider the reclassification of additional medications 
        and evidence-based treatments that may be safely prescribed to 
        treat mental health conditions;
            (2) provide enhanced mental health knowledge and training 
        for aviation medical examiners, consistent with the 
        recommendations of the Mental Health & Aviation Medical 
        Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee described in section 
        6;
            (3) if the Administrator determines appropriate, consider 
        expanding opportunities in which an aviation medical examiner 
        may issue a certificate consistent with the recommendations of 
        the Mental Health & Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation 
        Rulemaking Committee described in section 6, provided that such 
        examiner has completed enhanced mental health training, as 
        described in paragraph (2), to ensure such personnel have the 
        requisite knowledge and ability to appropriately evaluate 
        individuals for FAA medical certification; and
            (4) improve the special issuance process for pilots and air 
        traffic controllers.

SEC. 5. IMPROVING CAPACITY FOR THE OFFICE OF AEROSPACE MEDICINE.

    Section 106(k)(2) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(E) Not more than $15,000,000 for each of fiscal 
                years 2026 through 2028 to--
                            ``(i) recruit, select, and train additional 
                        aviation medical examiners and human 
                        intervention motivation study aviation medical 
                        examiners, including those who are 
                        psychiatrists;
                            ``(ii) expand capacity to provide oversight 
                        of aviation medical examiners and clear the 
                        backlog of special issuance requests and cases 
                        awaiting review at the Office of Aerospace 
                        Medicine of the FAA;
                            ``(iii) provide enhanced mental health 
                        training to aviation medical examiners to 
                        ensure such personnel have requisite knowledge 
                        and the ability to appropriately evaluate 
                        individuals for FAA medical certification; and
                            ``(iv) support any other related 
                        activities, as determined appropriate by the 
                        Administrator.''.

SEC. 6. IMPLEMENTATION OF AVIATION RULEMAKING COMMITTEE 
              RECOMMENDATIONS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator shall implement, as appropriate, the 
recommendations of the Mental Health & Aviation Medical Clearances 
Aviation Rulemaking Committee, which were submitted to the 
Administrator on April 1, 2024 (in this section referred to as the 
``ARC'').
    (b) Consultation.--In carrying out subsection (a), the 
Administrator shall consult with the stakeholders described in section 
411(d)(3)(B) of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (as amended by this 
Act).
    (c) Validation.--With respect to recommendation 6 of the ARC, the 
Administrator shall leverage and cite relevant clinical studies, 
research, diagnostic manuals, and protocols to inform the 
recommendation, as determined by the Administrator. The Administrator 
may, as appropriate, commission any such studies that may be needed to 
fill data gaps. Any such studies shall document the data gap and be 
completed not later than 1 year after the enactment of this Act.
    (d) Justification.--If the Administrator decides not to implement a 
recommendation described in the ARC, the Administrator shall submit to 
the appropriate committees of Congress their justification for such 
decision not later than 90 days after the deadline described in such 
subsection.

SEC. 7. PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN.

    (a) In General.--For fiscal years 2026 through 2028, the 
Administrator shall carry out a public information campaign or similar 
public education efforts to--
            (1) destigmatize individuals in (or interested in joining) 
        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.
    (b) Requirements.--The public information campaign or similar 
public education efforts described in subsection (a) shall include--
            (1) making publicly available (in an easily accessible 
        format and location online)--
                    (A) information that would help destigmatize the 
                reporting of mental health concerns impacting the 
                aviation workforce, and encourage individuals to seek 
                help for such concerns; and
                    (B) other information to effectuate the outcomes 
                described in subsection (a);
            (2) posting the information described in paragraph (1) at 
        Aviation Medical Examiner offices; and
            (3) collaborating with air carriers (as defined in section 
        40102 of title 49, United States Code), flight training 
        institutions and entities (as described in parts 61 and 141 of 
        title 14, Code of Federal Regulations), and small, medium, and 
        large hub airports (as defined in such section 40102) to 
        encourage such entities to make such information easily 
        accessible to airmen and air traffic controllers.
    (c) Briefing and Report to Congress.--
            (1) Briefing.--Not later than 90 days after the 
        Administrator establishes the public information campaign 
        described in subsection (a), the Administrator shall brief the 
        appropriate committees of Congress on the actions taken to 
        develop the campaign and the plans to implement the campaign.
            (2) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the Administrator 
        implements the public information campaign, the Administrator 
        shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report 
        describing the engagement and outreach resulting from such 
        campaign, including a description of any applicable feedback 
        from aviation industry stakeholders on the efficacy of the 
        campaign.

            Passed the Senate September 24, 2026.

            Attest:

                                                             Secretary.
119th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 3257

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

To require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to 
   revise regulations for certain individuals carrying out aviation 
activities who disclose a mental health diagnosis or condition, and for 
                            other purposes.