Casten Statement on Passage of Pilot Mental Health Reform in FAA Reauthorization Act
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Sean Casten released the following statement on the House passage of the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act:
“In April, the FAA Mental Health & Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) released recommendations to the FAA to improve mental health care access for pilots and air traffic controllers. I led the call to include the direction to implement these in the reauthorization bill for the FAA and I am glad to vote yes on their inclusion.
“Currently, pilots and air traffic controllers who seek mental health care are unfairly penalized by a system that perpetuates a culture of silence. If they seek mental health care, they are faced with delays, confusion, and overbroad regulation in the process of returning to work. This often means that relatively minor mental health concerns result in long wait times and derailed careers for safe and well-trained pilots and air traffic controllers, which exacerbate the culture of silence that is rooted in a fear for their livelihoods.
“I applaud the steps this year’s FAA Reauthorization Act 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,” said Congressman Sean Casten.
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