The Mental Health in Aviation Act, introduced by Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), seeks to modernize Federal Aviation Administration regulations and reduce stigma around mental health care for pilots and air traffic controllers. The Senate bill builds on House legislation H.R. 2591, introduced by Representatives Sean Casten (D-Ill.) and Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), which passed the House unanimously by voice vote on Sept. 8 and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.
Under current FAA regulations, pilots and air traffic controllers must disclose medical treatment, including mental and behavioral health treatment, to obtain and maintain FAA Medical Certification. Even minor or well-managed conditions can result in “prolonged uncertainty and bureaucratic delays.” The Mental Health in Aviation Act would require the FAA to modernize its mental health guidance regulations, annually review the Special Issuance Medical Certification process, allocate $15 million annually to the Office of Aerospace Medicine, and allocate $1.5 million annually for a public information campaign to reduce stigma.
University of North Dakota’s Leadership
The University of North Dakota has emerged as a national leader in aviation mental health. In fall 2021, aviation student John Hauser died by suicide after crashing his training plane. In letters, Hauser said he was struggling with mental health but felt he would have to give up flying if he got help, asking that people “try to change the FAA rules so that other young pilots don’t have to go through what I went through.” His family established the John A. Hauser Mental Health in Aviation Initiative Fund at UND.
The university created the UpLift Peer Support program, which trains students to provide peers with mental health support. Sky Overbo, an embedded aviation psychologist hired in 2023, oversees and trains the peer supporters. UND was the first aviation school in the United States to establish a peer support program. The program has expanded nationally, with Overbo and students traveling to conferences in Japan and Canada to share and improve practices.
UND established an annual Aviation Mental Health Symposium, first held in 2021, which brings together collegiate aviation programs, mental health professionals, industry partners, and the FAA. The FAA has updated regulations so pilots and air traffic controllers with minor conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder and adjustment disorder no longer need special issuance, provided their air medical examiner and a psychologist confirm they are fit to operate.
North Dakota House Bill 1612, signed into law earlier this year, allocated up to $250,000 to establish the North Dakota Center for Aerospace Medicine at UND, allowing pilots statewide to access aviation medical examiners and routine physicals without traveling to Minneapolis.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.wctrib.com/news/north-dakota/mental-health-in-aviation-act-builds-on-efforts-by-und-which-continue-to-spread-internationally