FAA must publish its secret medication rules for pilots and controllers

What it does

This bill requires the FAA to publish and maintain a publicly accessible list of medications that pilots, air traffic controllers, and trainees can safely use while holding medical certification. The list will include approved medications, over-the-counter drugs, contraindications, and the FAA's "Do Not Issue" and "Do Not Fly" medications. Airmen and medical professionals gain transparency about which drugs are permitted, reducing confusion and potential certification delays.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core function is mandating public disclosure of FAA medication standards to improve transparency and reduce certification uncertainty for aviation professionals. It is a straightforward information-access and safety-coordination measure with no hidden mechanisms or narrow beneficiaries.

What the text implies

• Standardized public list may reduce variation in medical examiner interpretations, potentially lowering certification denial rates and associated legal/administrative costs for airmen.
• Savings clause (subsection e) explicitly shields FAA from liability if an airman relies on the list and later experiences adverse reactions or certification denial—a one-way liability asymmetry favoring the agency.
• Monthly updates to the Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners will require corresponding list updates, creating ongoing administrative burden on FAA but ensuring currency of public information.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

Ordinary citizens who are pilots or air traffic controllers gain clear, accessible information about medication eligibility before seeking certification, reducing costly delays and denials. The general public benefits from improved safety through informed medical decision-making by aviation professionals. The savings clause protects the FAA from liability but does not eliminate the underlying transparency gain.

Named in the bill

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Administrator of the FAA, Federal Air Surgeon, Aeromedical Innovation and Modernization Working Group, Civil Aviation Medical Association, Aviation Accreditation Board International, MedXPress (FAA medical certification platform)

Where it stands

14 cosponsors: 11 Democrats, 3 Republicans.

• Nov 20, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Nov 20, 2025 — Referred to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation”
• Jul 22, 2026 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of…”
• Sep 24, 2026 — Passed the Senate · Congress.gov: “Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S5019; text: CR S5019)”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

10 lobbying clients named this bill on 11 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $1,241,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 13 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 91% of bills with at least one filing.

Tammy Duckworth, the sponsor, reported $148,182 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association — $320,000 on 1 filing
• Air Line Pilots Association — $266,000 on 1 filing
• Wta -- Advocates for Rural Broadband — $225,000 on 2 filings
• Netjets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots — $200,000 on 1 filing
• Southwest Airlines Pilots' Association — $100,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.