Urgent Call to Implement Aviator Mental Health Reforms Issued as FAA Reauthorization Heads to President’s Desk
Fixing mental health access gaps undergird safety provisions of funding authorization bill – but accountability for implementation must still be addressed
Washington, D.C.—The Pilot Mental Health Campaign (PMHC)—a national coalition of aviators, legal experts, and mental health professionals lauded Congressional progress to address critical mental healthcare access gaps through the Federal Aviation Administration’s 5-year funding reauthorization package, but noted significant work must be done to hold the FAA accountable for implementing long overdue reforms.
Several sections of the bill address healthcare access in the aviation workspace, but mental health advocates remain concerned that unclear language about the implementation of recommendations issued by the FAA’s Mental Health & Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC), could delay the advancement of urgently needed reforms.
Brian Bomhoff, speaking on behalf of PMHC, noted, “There’s bi-partisan consensus that better mental health standards at the FAA will make our aviation system safer by ensuring pilots get appropriate treatment and care. The threat of being grounded and losing income for months or years after seeking basic healthcare services causes pilots to avoid seeking medical help when they need it. This is an unacceptable status quo. While I’m encouraged by a renewed emphasis on addressing issues that PMHC has championed in the FAA reauthorization bill, there must be firmer deadlines to implement reform. Pilots, and their families, are under duress from the FAA’s antiquated approach to addressing mental health. It’s in the public’s interest to implement aviator mental health access reform with all possible haste.”
Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL) – who led a bi-partisan letter calling for pilot mental health reform in the FAA reauthorization bill, added, “I applaud the steps this year’s FAA Reauthorization takes to implement recommendations from the ARC and modernize the review process for pilots who have sought mental health care, and I look forward to supporting the full implementation of these recommendations. We still have work to do for our pilots and air traffic controllers, and I will continue to fight to reduce barriers to mental health care in aviation.”
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For more information or interview requests, contact:
Megan Simmons, Desimone Consulting Group, [email protected]
About PMHC
The Pilot Mental Health Campaign (PMHC) is the first and only advocacy organization dedicated exclusively to reforming the broken American aeromedical system and building a safe, effective, and modern system that supports the mental health and wellbeing of American pilots. Established by aviators, legal experts, and mental health professionals, PMHC collaborates with industry stakeholders, mental health experts, and policymakers to drive change. For more information, visit www.pmhc.org.