Senate approves legislation targeted at pilot, air traffic control mental health guidance

The Senate cleared two aviation-focused bills Thursday, both passing without objection, to make it easier for pilots and air traffic controllers to get mental health care. Sen. John Hoeven, a North Dakota Republican, sponsored one measure directing the Federal Aviation Administration to publish guidance urging aviation workers to seek help for mental health struggles and to give aviation medical examiners better training on the issue. Hoeven named the bill for John A. Hauser, who died by suicide in 2021 during his flight training in North Dakota after coming from Chicago. Hoeven said a shortage of pilots and controllers is being worsened by FAA red tape that sidelines workers for long stretches once they seek psychiatric treatment, according to The Hill.

Illinois Democrat Sen. Tammy Duckworth introduced the companion bill, called the Aviation Medication Transparency Act of 2026, which would require the FAA to compile and refresh every year a public list of medications considered safe for pilots and controllers to take. Duckworth argued that aviation employees face constant pressure on the job and said their careers "should never be threatened" simply because they lacked clarity on permitted medications or had sought treatment.

The chamber's action follows an FAA policy update from earlier this year that already pushed aviation workers toward therapy and similar resources. The Hill said it had asked the FAA to comment on the Senate's action but had not yet received a response.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Hill’s reporting. Read the full story at The Hill →