WA Senate panel advances mental health benefits for pilots

A proposal to ensure pilots and other airport employees would get paid family and medical leave benefits when out of commission for FAA medical recertification advanced in the state Senate Friday.

OLYMPIA, Wash. - A proposal to support pilots who are disqualified from flying due to mental health reasons advanced in the state Senate Friday morning. Pilots say the bill addresses a huge barrier in getting necessary care, with an almost catastrophic situation driving the legislation.

Senate Bill 5396 would ensure paid family and medical leave benefits are given to pilots, air traffic controllers and other employees who are waiting to be medically recertified by the Federal Aviation Administration around "mental and neurologic standards."

Under federal law, pilots and other staff must obtain a "medical certificate" to do their jobs. Certain health conditions can disqualify someone from work unless they go through a process to be reinstated.

Pilots have said that the recertification process is arduous, often taking a long time to complete and causing a lot of economic hardship.

Brad Maas, an airline pilot with the Pilot Mental Health Campaign, said his journey through the FAA medical certificate process took nearly 600 days to complete, putting him in a tough spot financially "for doing the right thing and seeking mental healthcare."

"The unfortunate reality is that the vast majority of pilots do not choose the path toward mental wellness," he told the Senate Committee on Labor and Commerce on January 28. "Why? Financial loss and financial uncertainty are the main reasons my colleagues do not take the necessary steps."

State Senator Marko Liias (D-Edmonds), said he is sponsoring the legislation to make sure pilots are healthy and safe as they keep people moving.

He was moved to take action after a terrifying incident in October of 2023, when an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot struggling with mental health issues allegedly tried to shut off the engines of a jet as it was flying from Everett to San Francisco.

"What was clear in the aftermath is that the pilot himself lost his career, is deeply regretful of what happened and has raised awareness of the challenges for our pilots to access necessary care," Liias said.

A state fiscal analysis projects the bill will result in increases for paid family and medical leave premiums.

Airlines previously expressed concerns over some of the requirements for companies to compensate employees once their paid family and medical leave benefits expired. But the legislation was amended to accommodate the companies’ own leave benefits.

Senate Labor and Commerce committee

In the end, all members of the Labor and Commerce committee in attendance Friday supported moving the bill forward.

"I think it’s a well-worked bill and I know that people have–the various groups have worked very diligently and very hard to try and find some common ground where they could come together, and I think they’ve achieved that," said state Senator Curtis King (R-Yakima)

The bill now goes to the Senate Ways and Means Committee, which has until February 28 to consider the proposal and whether to move it to the full Senate.

The Source: Information in this story is from Albert James, a television reporter covering state government as part of the Murrow News Fellowship program – a collaborative effort between news outlets statewide and Washington State University.