Sponsors (6)
The bill makes medication rules for airmen clearer and improves clinician–FAA communication to speed certification, but it raises risk of job disruptions, administrative burden, and inconsistent clinical application that could delay return-to-duty for some.
Pilots, air traffic controllers, and other airmen get a clear, public, user-friendly list and guidance about which medications are allowed or prohibited for medical certification at initial application, reducing uncertainty about fitness to fly.
Medical providers gain a direct FAA contact mechanism for certification questions, improving clinician–FAA communication and potentially speeding determinations and resolving edge cases.
Required stakeholder consultation (working group with academia, labor, and pilot organizations) increases the credibility and practical relevance of the medication guidance.
Airmen who take commonly used medications could lose or face delays in medical certification if those drugs appear on a 'Do Not Issue' list, potentially restricting their ability to work until alternatives or exemptions are found.
If the guidance is overly conservative or insufficiently clinically nuanced (including rigid stabilization timeframes), medical providers may face more paperwork, appeals, and inconsistent return-to-duty decisions, delaying care and reinstatement for some airmen.
The one-year initial deadline and annual update requirement create administrative and compliance burdens for the FAA and could produce interim changes or frequent revisions that confuse applicants and clinicians.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Mandates the FAA to publish and annually update a public, user-friendly list of medications that permit, restrict, or contraindicate issuance of medical certification for airmen and air traffic control specialists.
Official title: Require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to publish the list of medications that the Administrator has compiled for purposes of the medical certification of airmen and air traffic control specialists, and for other purposes.
Introduced November 20, 2025 by Tammy Duckworth · Last progress November 20, 2025
Requires the FAA Administrator to publish and keep current a publicly available, user-friendly list of prescription and over-the-counter medications that may or may not be compatible with medical certification for airmen and air traffic control specialists. The list must be developed with medical, academic, labor and pilot stakeholders, include a “Do Not Issue” list and recommended stabilization periods when needed, provide FAA contact info for medical providers, and be posted within one year and updated annually.