The Conversation (0)
Pilot union urges House to demonstrate same commitment
to professional pilot community by passing companion legislation
The NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP) commends the U.S. Senate for its passage of S. 3257, the John A. Hauser Mental Health in Aviation Act, and S. 3258, the Aviation Medication Transparency Act. NJASAP represents the 3,800-plus professional pilots who fly in the service of NetJets Aviation, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway company.
The separate pieces of legislation address two of the professional pilot community's central aeromedical concerns: S. 3257 seeks to mitigate pilot reluctance to pursue treatment for a mental health concern for fear of putting their career in jeopardy, while S. 3258 tackles the lack of specificity on medications that are compatible with medical certification.
"The Senate's passage of S. 3257 clearly prioritizes pilot mental health: It modifies the FAA's aeromedical system in a way that encourages air crew to seek treatment for mental health concerns without fear of losing their medical certificate," NJASAP President Capt. Pedro Leroux said. The legislation directs the Administration to revise outdated regulations, to hasten overlong timelines that keep pilots in a state of uncertainty and to conduct an annual review of the special issuance process.
Added NJASAP Government Affairs Committee Chair Capt. Coley George," Aeromedical processes have been in need of reform for a very long time, motivating NJASAP and our labor peers to urge Congress and the FAA to modernize how the Administration approaches pilot mental health. Our intent is not to remove important safeguards, but to expand and refine treatment and medication options in response to evidence-based treatment options – and to do so in accordance with a reasonable timeline."
The second piece of legislation, S. 3258, takes similarly important steps toward removing the ambiguity that surrounds medication – what a pilot can and cannot take and retain their medical certificate. "From over-the-counter medications to prescription medications and the dosages and strengths related to the same, it can prove exceptionally difficult to stay clear of the line that separates what the FAA allows and what it does not," Leroux said.
"We urge the House to pass the Aviation Medication Transparency Act and ask Congress to complete its work on both bills, so these commonsense reforms can be sent to the President's desk for his signature," George said.
ABOUT NJASAP
Founded in 2008 as an independent labor advocate, the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP) represents the professional interests of the 3,800-plus pilots who fly in the service of NetJets Aviation, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) subsidiary. For more information, please visit our website, www.njasap.com, or find us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/njasap, Instagram, www.instagram.com/njasap, and X, @njasap.
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SOURCE NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP)
