SecBot SecBot

John A. Hauser Mental Health in Aviation Act

S. 3257 Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) Passed Senate
Bill text PDF
  1. Introduced Nov 20
  2. Committee Nov 20
  3. Passed Senate Sep 24
  4. Passed House Next
  5. To President Not yet
  6. Law Not yet
Where it stands
Passed Senate, Sep 24, 2026Next: House vote
27d ago Oct 1, 2026: Held at the desk.
Final votes
No roll callsNo recorded vote on this bill yet
Lobbying
1company, 4 filings
Subscribe to see spend
Member trades
1trades in the last 90 days
Subscribe to see who
Who backs the bill and who pushes back Subscribe

Companies lobbying on this bill

1 company
Companies by sector
Industrials 1
Search all 1 companies, their asks and price moves Subscribe

Summary

This bill requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to update regulations and guidance to encourage aviation workers to seek help for and disclose mental health conditions, and to improve related processes. It defines key terms like the FAA Administrator and 'special issuance' for medical certificates.

Sec. 3, Regulations for individuals carrying out aviation activities: Within 18 months, the FAA must update regulations to encourage seeking help and disclosing mental health conditions. It also amends a prior law to require feedback from a broader range of aviation stakeholders and to include reviews of NTSB mental health recommendations and clinical studies in task group reports. The FAA may implement report recommendations within 180 days, or justify non-implementation to Congress.

Sec. 4, Review of mental health special issuance process: Starting 180 days after the first required report, the FAA must review the special issuance process for pilots and air traffic controllers. This review happens annually for two years, then every three years, to consider reclassifying medications, enhance examiner training, expand examiner authority, and improve the process.

Sec. 5, Improving capacity for the Office of Aerospace Medicine: The bill authorizes up to $15 million per year from fiscal years 2026 through 2028 for the FAA to recruit and train medical examiners (including psychiatrists), clear backlogs of special issuance requests, provide enhanced mental health training, and support related activities.

Sec. 6, Implementation of Aviation Rulemaking Committee recommendations: Within two years, the FAA must implement recommendations from the 2024 Mental Health & Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee. The FAA must consult stakeholders, validate one recommendation with clinical studies, and justify any decision not to implement a recommendation to Congress.

Sec. 7, Public information campaign: From fiscal years 2026 to 2028, the FAA must run a campaign to destigmatize mental health care in aviation, raise awareness of services, and build trust. This includes posting information online and at medical examiner offices, and collaborating with airlines and airports. The FAA must brief Congress on the campaign plan and report on its effectiveness within two years.

Summary of the bill text as engrossed in Senate (Sep 24, 2026), generated by SecBot from the official bill text; the Library of Congress summary is not yet published.

Official record from Congress.gov, the House Clerk and the Senate; lobbying from Lobbying Disclosure Act filings. Updated Oct 28, 2026.