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Aviation Medication Transparency Act of 2026
Summary
- Requires the FAA to publish and maintain a publicly available list of medications approved for pilots and air traffic control specialists seeking medical certification within one year of enactment.
- Requires the list to include all approved medications (prescription and over-the-counter), medications designated "Do Not Issue," and information on required stabilization periods.
- Requires the list to be drafted in consultation with aviation schools, pilot unions, air traffic controller unions, and other stakeholders and provided to applicants in user-friendly format.
- Requires the list to include information on what conditions medications treat and why the FAA approves or prohibits them, and provide contact information for doctors to ask the FAA questions.
- Requires the FAA to update the list annually.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
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Sen. Duckworth, Tammy (D-IL)
5 cosponsors
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Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd (R-AL) -
Sen. Durbin, Richard J. (D-IL) -
Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. (D-CO) -
Sen. Hoeven, John (R-ND) -
Sen. Risch, James E. (R-ID)
Actions (10)
- Oct 1, 2026 Held at the desk. · house
- Oct 1, 2026 Received in the House. · house
- Sep 28, 2026 Message on Senate action sent to the House. · senate
- Sep 24, 2026 Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S5019; text: CR S5019) · senate
- Sep 24, 2026 Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S5019; text: CR S5019)
- Sep 14, 2026 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 559. · senate
- Sep 14, 2026 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 119-140. · senate
- Jul 22, 2026 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably. · senate
- Nov 20, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. · senate
- Nov 20, 2025 Introduced in Senate
More bills on these subjects (8)
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Similar bills (6)
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Text versions (3)
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Full text
AN ACT
To 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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Aviation Medication Transparency Act of 2026”.
SEC. 2. AVIATION MEDICATION TRANSPARENCY; LIST OF APPROVED MEDICATIONS.
(a) Purpose.—The purpose of this Act is to ensure that aviation stakeholders, including airmen, air traffic control specialists, and individuals training to become airmen or air traffic control specialists, who are applicants for medical certification or medical clearance, are informed, in a user-friendly and accessible manner, of—
(1) the medications on the “Do Not Issue” or “Do Not Fly” lists;
(2) the medications they may safely purchase over-the- counter or be prescribed; and
(3) under what conditions the medications described in paragraph (2) may be safely used in the aviation environment, consistent with the information provided in the Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners (including any update to such Guide), which is updated monthly, or successor documents issued by the Federal Air Surgeon.
(b) In General.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (in this section referred to as the “Administrator”) shall publish and maintain on a publicly available website of the Federal Aviation Administration (in this section referred to as the “FAA”) a list of medications that the Administrator, as of the date of publication, has—
(1) determined may be safely prescribed to or purchased over-the-counter by an applicant for medical certification or medical clearance to treat medical conditions; and
(2) approved for purposes of the issuance of a medical certification or medical clearance to—
(A) an airman who requires a medical certificate or a medical clearance; or
(B) an air traffic control specialist who requires medical clearance.
(c) Requirements.—To ensure information transparency, user- friendliness, and appropriate dissemination, the list required under subsection (b) shall—
(1) incorporate, prior to dissemination, consultation with—
(A) the Aeromedical Innovation and Modernization Working Group (established under section 411(a) of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (49 U.S.C. 44703 note)) (in this section referred to as the “Working Group”);
(B) organizations representing collective bargaining representatives of airline pilots;
(C) the certified exclusive bargaining representatives of air traffic controllers of the FAA certified under section 7111 of title 5, United States Code;
(D) institutions of higher education that are accredited by the Aviation Accreditation Board International;
(E) professional pilot flight training schools certified under part 141 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations;
(F) the Civil Aviation Medical Association;
(G) organizations representing general aviation operators and pilots; and
(H) any other stakeholder determined relevant by the Administrator;
(2) regarding treatment of medical conditions that may impact the performance of duties or the exercise of privileges of an airman certificate, include—
(A) medications allowed by the Administrator, including prescription medications and over-the-counter medications;
(B) contra-indications associated with the medications described in subparagraph (A); and
(C) whether such medications may require review by the FAA;
(3) be drafted in a user-friendly and accessible manner and, in addition to being made publicly available pursuant to subsection (b), made available on MedXPress for airmen, air traffic control specialists, and individuals training to become airmen or air traffic control specialists at the time when any such individual first seeks a medical certification or medical clearance;
(4) if practicable, indicate the minimum period of time an airman, air traffic control specialist, or individual training to become an airman or air traffic control specialist is required to have limited or no duties to stabilize on a medication allowed by the Administrator;
(5) include the list of medications that the Administrator has designated as “Do Not Issue” or “Do Not Fly”;
(6) include information for doctors or medical providers to contact the FAA regarding questions related to the list published under subsection (b), including through a new or existing mechanism that is accessible to such doctors and medical providers; and
(7) include any other information or clarification that the Administrator determines appropriate.
(d) List Update.—Not later than 1 year after the date of publication of the list required under subsection (b), and when relevant information in the Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners (or any successor document) or other relevant FAA medical certification policy is updated, the Administrator shall update such list, as appropriate.
(e) Savings Clause.—The publication of the list described in subsection (b) shall not be construed as assigning liability to the Administrator for any situation in which an airman, air traffic control specialist, or applicant relies on such list in deciding whether to use a medication on the list and—
(1) experiences an adverse medical reaction from the use of such medication;
(2) causes harm or injury to persons or property after using such medication; or
(3) is deemed by an aviation medical examiner or the FAA to be ineligible for a medical certification or medical clearance.
Passed the Senate September 24, 2026.
Attest:
Secretary. 119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3258
AN ACT
To 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.
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