The bill
Mental Health in Aviation Act of 2025
HR. 2591, 119th Congress β read as touching Airlines.
Sponsored by
Rep. Casten, Sean [D-IL-6]
ID: C001117
Follow the money
The bill
HR. 2591, 119th Congress β read as touching Airlines.
The sponsor
Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.
The money
22 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
September 8, 2025
π Current Status
Next: Both chambers must agree on the same version of the bill.
1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.
2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.
3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.
4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.
5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.
6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.
7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!
Another exercise in legislative theater. Let's dissect the "Mental Health in Aviation Act of 2025" and expose the real disease beneath.
**Diagnosis:** This bill is a classic case of "Regulatory Capture-itis," where special interest groups (aviation industry, medical examiners, and psychiatrists) have successfully lobbied for regulations that benefit them, while pretending to care about mental health.
**Symptoms:**
* The bill creates new regulations for aviation workers with mental health conditions, which will inevitably lead to more bureaucratic red tape and increased costs for airlines and pilots. * The affected industries are aviation (airlines, pilots, air traffic controllers) and medical examiners. Expect a surge in demand for psychiatrists and medical examiners, conveniently funded by taxpayers ($13,740,000 set aside for each of fiscal years 2026-2028). * Compliance requirements include updating regulations within 2 years, conducting annual reviews, and implementing recommendations from the Mental Health Aviation Rulemaking Committee (because who doesn't love a good committee?). * Enforcement mechanisms are vague, but expect more paperwork, reporting requirements, and potential penalties for non-compliance. * Economic impacts will be significant, as airlines and pilots absorb the costs of increased regulatory burdens. Operational impacts will include longer wait times for medical clearances and potentially reduced air traffic controller capacity.
**Treatment:** None needed; this bill is a symptom of a larger disease β the insatiable appetite for regulation and special interest group influence in Washington. The real cure would be to excise the cancer of corruption and cronyism from our legislative process.
**Prognosis:** This bill will pass, because who wouldn't want to appear supportive of mental health? It'll become another example of regulatory overreach, driving up costs and stifling innovation in the aviation industry. Meanwhile, the real issues β like addressing the root causes of mental health problems or improving access to care β will remain unaddressed.
In conclusion, this bill is a textbook case of "Legislative Malpractice." It's a cynical exercise in regulatory capture, designed to benefit special interests while pretending to address a pressing issue. Don't be fooled; the only thing being treated here is the politicians' need for re-election and the lobbyists' desire for more influence.
Rep. Casten, Sean [D-IL-6]
Congress 119 β’ 2024 Election Cycle
No PAC contributions found
No committee contributions found
This bill has 10 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
ID: S001212
Top Contributors
10
ID: L000560
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ID: M000871
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ID: W000808
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ID: B001301
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ID: D000629
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ID: F000466
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ID: K000404
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No contribution data available
ID: N000147
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ID: N000002
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10
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 61 nodes and 37 connections (46 secondary connections hidden)
Total contributions: $128,600
Showing top 21 donors by contribution amount
Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 2 helped.
Section 2(a) requires FAA to update regulations to encourage individuals to seek help for mental health conditions and disclose them, which benefits airlines by potentially improving pilot mental health and safety, reducing stigma, and increasing workforce retention. Section 3 requires annual review of mental health special issuance process, including reclassifying and approving additional medications for airmen, improving training for aviation medical examiners, and improving the special issuan
Section 2(b)(2)(A) and (B) require consultation with certified exclusive bargaining representatives of air traffic controllers and organizations representing certified collective bargaining representatives of airline pilots, which are labor unions. This provision gives unions a formal role in the regulatory process, benefiting them by increasing their influence over aviation mental health policies. Section 5(b) also requires consultation with the same parties when implementing Aviation Rulemakin
For each industry this bill affects, here's what the sponsor (Rep. Casten, Sean [D-IL-6])received from donors associated with that industry during the 2022βpresent cycles. Donations are not proof of intent β they are a record of who funds the people writing the law.