'Antiquated' mental health rules for pilots would be overhauled under House bill

Source: CNN US

Updated Sep 9, 2025, 2:00 PM ET
PUBLISHED Sep 9, 2025, 1:44 PM ET


Washignton — Members of the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill Monday that would force the Federal Aviation Administration to make a sweeping overhaul of what critics call antiquated pilot mental health rules.

The Mental Health in Aviation Act of 2025 is the most significant move yet in ending FAA policies that effectively ban commercial pilots from seeking any mental health - including therapy. The current rules impose “a culture of silence that is affecting safety,” according to National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy.

Advocates for the bill say the move is a huge step in addressing the long-standing stigma—and lack of support—for the mental health of pilots. “For so long, people were like, ‘I can never be sad,’” Chris Finlayson, Executive Director of the Pilot Mental Health Campaign and commercial pilot for a major airline, told CNN. “Now, all of a sudden, the pilot population has realized that reform is actually coming.”

The bill mandates the FAA enact 24 recommendations from an aviation rule-making committee within two years, forcing the agency to address a backlog of pilot medical certifications with special exceptions as well as hire FAA physicians with mental health backgrounds. CNN has reached out to the FAA for a comment on the bill.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/09/us/pilot-mental-health-bill